Fernando Alonso has "options" on the Formula One grid but his "priority" is to remain with Alpine.
The veteran driver's contract with the team is due to expire at the end of the season and speculation surrounding his future has been rife, with Alpine having Oscar Piastri ready to step up.
Piastri may be loaned to Williams for the 2023 season if Alonso renews with Alpine.
While the Spaniard would prefer to remain with his current team, he could not rule out a move elsewhere.
"From the beginning of the summer break, it will be the point I need to sit down and conclude something. The summer break starts on Monday," he said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
"All the teams are an option as long as they don’t have two drivers signed. My priority is to be with Alpine.
"We've been working and developing this project together for two years now. We are more and more competitive.
"Probably my wish is to stay. But we didn’t sit down completely and move forward with things. So still everything is ongoing."
Alonso previously departed F1 to pursue other racing opportunities, including at Le Mans and in Indycar, but added that such an offer for 2023 would not tempt him.
"I think I am fresh here [in F1], very motivated. I'm looking forward so much into next year, what the second year of these rules will bring," he explained.
"We race in Las Vegas, we race maybe in South Africa. All these things, they are very appealing.
"I feel very fast this year, last year was a struggle a little bit. But this year I feel at my 100 per cent.
"Now even thinking about sportscars or IndyCar it’s like 'not now'. My head is completely 'remove this' and stay focused on F1."
The Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) on Wednesday issued a statement explaining the decision by its Managing Council to omit many-time national champion Simon Tomlinson from the team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games beginning on Thursday in Birmingham.
Tomlinson described the omission as a “personal attack” in an interview with Television Jamaica Sports on Tuesday.
“The managing council of the Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) categorically denies any allegations of a personal attack on Simon Tomlinson by the JTTA President, Mr. Andrew Lue, and refutes any defamatory reports that may suggest same,” the statement said.
The statement continues: “The decision to withdraw Mr. Tomlinson from the 2022 Commonwealth Games came as a result of his lack of preparation for the Commonwealth Games, his March withdrawal from the 2022 Caribbean Championships in Cuba and his non-participation in the recent National Championships and was made by the council in the interest of the sport of Table Tennis in Jamaica and the JTTA Managing Council stands by its decision.”
Sebastian Vettel says his "best race is still to come" after revealing he will retire from Formula One at the end of this season.
The Aston Martin driver on Thursday revealed he will quit after his 300th F1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi in November.
Vettel will end his career as a four-time world champion, with the German great having so far won 53 races and been on the podium 122 times.
The 35-year-old is relishing life after racing, stating: "I believe there is still a race to win."
He said in an Instagram post: "Next to racing, I have grown a family and I love being around them. I have grown other interests outside Formula One. My passion for racing and Formula One comes with lots of time spent away from them, and takes a lot of energy.
"Committing to my passion the way I did and the way I think is right, no longer goes side-by-side with my wish to be a great father and husband. The energy it takes to become one with the car and the team, to chase perfection, takes focus and commitment.
"My goals have shifted from winning races and fighting for championships to seeing my children grow, passing on my values, helping them up when they fall, listening to them when they need me, not having to say goodbye, and most importantly being able to learn from them and let them inspire me.
"Children are our future, further I feel there is so much to explore and learn about life and about myself.
"Speaking of the future, I feel we live in very decisive times and how we all shape these next years will determine our lives.
"My passion comes with certain aspects that I've learned to dislike. They might be solved in the future, but the will to apply that change has to grow much stronger and has to be leading to action today. Talk is not enough and we cannot afford to wait. There is no alternative, the race is under way.
"My best race is still to come, I believe in moving forwards and moving on. Time is a one-way street and I want to grow with the times. Looking back is only going to slow you down. I look forward to racing down unknown tracks and I will be finding new challenges.
"The marks I left on track will stay until time and rain will wash them away. New ones will be put down. Tomorrow belongs to those shaping today.
"The next corner is in good hands as the new generation has already turned in. I believe there is still a race to win. Farewell and thank you for letting me share the track with you, I loved every bit of it."
Pete Carroll says the Seattle Seahawks can be successful without Russell Wilson and revealed Geno Smith is winning the battle to be starting quarterback.
Wilson's departure to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2022 season is a massive blow for the Seahawks, having led the team to a first Super Bowl triumph in 2013 and a return to the Super Bowl the following year.
Carroll will have to do it without Wilson in 2022, a big year for the team after the 2021 season saw the Seahawks miss out on a playoff spot for only the second time in 10 seasons.
With Seattle not making a move to land a high-profile replacement, having been linked to Baker Mayfield prior to his move to the Carolina Panthers, questions have been asked about how Carroll will fill the void.
The experienced coach is not concerned, though, referencing his years coaching in college football where he had to adjust his side every year following graduations.
"You went to the next guy. You always miss when the guys leave but you can see it (coming) so you start planning for it, you work and you can find success," he told a news conference.
"I'm taking it in stride, but I'm real determined to make it work.
"There's a lot of developing of the players and giving them the background they need and the substance they need to be able to play like they're capable."
The Seahawks have Smith and Drew Lock competing to be the first choice under center and although Carroll says the former is leading the way, he made it clear there is time for that to change.
"Geno is in the lead. He's ahead and he ain't looking back. He's going for it," he added.
"Drew is not going to take a back seat. Something is going to happen. You will not nail me on that [naming his starter]."
Sebastian Vettel will bring an end to his illustrious Formula One career at the end of the season, he revealed on Thursday.
The four-time F1 champion has seen the current campaign shrouded by speculation on his future, with his deal with Aston Martin expiring at the end of the year – and he has now made the decision to step away into retirement.
"I have had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula One over the past 15 years - there are far too many to mention and thank," he said in a statement.
"The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it. At the end of the year I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next.
"It is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family. But today is not about saying goodbye.
"Rather, it is about saying thank you – to everyone – not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula One could not exist."
Vettel began his F1 career in 2007 with BMW, then moved to Toro Rosso for a two-year stint before stepping up to join Red Bull.
Finishing second in his first season with Red Bull, Vettel then won four consecutive world titles from 2010 to 2013 and left to join Ferrari in 2015, spending six seasons there.
Vettel finished 12th in the drivers' championship in 2021, his first season with Aston Martin, and lies 14th in the standings in 2022 – having picked up just 15 points.
Lawrence Stroll says Aston Martin wanted Sebastian Vettel to continue driving for the team in the 2023 Formula One season.
The four-time world champion announced his retirement on Thursday, with his career set to come to a close on the landmark occasion of his 300th F1 race in Abu Dhabi on November 20.
There has been speculation over Vettel's future throughout the season, with the German in the final year of his Aston Martin contract, and a decision was expected during the mid-season break.
Vettel confirmed ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend that he has decided to quit despite being offered the chance to stay with Aston Martin.
"I want to thank Sebastian from the bottom of my heart for the great work that he has done for Aston Martin over the past year and a half," Aston Martin executive chairman Stroll said in a statement.
"We made it clear to him that we wanted him to continue with us next year, but in the end he has done what he feels is right for himself and his family, and of course we respect that.
"He has driven some fantastic races for us, and, behind the scenes, his experience and expertise with our engineers have been extremely valuable.
"He is one of the all-time greats of Formula One, and it has been a privilege to have been able to work with him.
"He will continue to race for us up to and including the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be his 300th Grand Prix entry. We will give him a fabulous send-off."
Team principal Mike Krack also heaped praise on the 35-year-old.
"Sebastian is a superb driver - fast, intelligent and strategic - and of course we are going to miss those qualities," he said.
"However, we have all learned from him, and the knowledge that we have gained from working with him will continue to benefit our team long after his departure.
"Aston Martin is a great project, with unlimited potential, and the groundwork that Sebastian has done last year, and is still doing this year, is crucial.
"When we become fully competitive - and we will - one of the architects of that future success will be Sebastian, and we will always be grateful to him for that."
Steve Hansen has slammed New Zealand Rugby and believes the relationship between All Blacks players and the board is "probably the worst it's ever been".
Former New Zealand head coach Hansen lashed out over the treatment of under-fire All Blacks boss Ian Foster and former Black Ferns coach Glenn Moore, who resigned in April.
Foster, who was appointed as Hansen's successor in 2019, faced questions over his future after a recent series defeat to Ireland that was labelled "not acceptable" by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) CEO Mark Robinson.
The 57-year-old Foster was ultimately backed to remain in the role following an NZR review, while Moore quit after the governing body published a review into the culture and environment of the New Zealand women's side.
Hansen, who masterminded the All Blacks' 2015 Rugby World Cup triumph, has launched a scathing attack on the way NZR is going about its business.
He said in an interview with Today FM: "They've come out and aired all their dirty washing in the front part of the property rather than out the back.
"So their job [NZR] is to run it with strength and leadership but in a way that you're going to look after the people that work for you.
"Otherwise, you'll end up with a high turnover of staff which I think that they're having at the moment. So, the relationship between the board and the exec and players at the moment is probably the worst it's ever been."
Hansen also highlighted the decision to bring in investment from US private equity firm Silver Lake as he accused the governing body of not "doing their job right".
He added: "If you look back to when we were really successful from about 2010 through to 2019, which was our most successful era, the board and the exec at the rugby union were humming.
"There was complete togetherness and connection was with the actual All Blacks team."
Hansen backed CEO Robinson but said the long-serving Steve Tew, who previously held that position, should have been persuaded to stay on to provide a period of transition.
"I think he [Robinson] is up to the job, but you've got to remember, he's just in the job," Hansen said. "The period we're going through at the moment with COVID, no one else has ever had to do that in their time."
Hansen said he "can't fathom" why NZR found themselves with Tew and Foster "running the ship" when they are, by his description, "relatively inexperienced".
"Again, that's a board decision," Hansen said. "Mark Robinson is going to be a good CEO, however... everyone is into Sam Cane about his captaincy... I remember in 2007 Richie McCaw was the worst captain we've ever had according to the media and public, well he went on to become the greatest captain we've ever had."
Sebastian Vettel will bring an end to his illustrious Formula One career at the end of the season, he revealed on Thursday.
The four-time F1 champion has seen the current campaign shrouded by speculation on his future, with his deal with Aston Martin expiring at the end of the year – and he has now made the decision to step away into retirement.
"I have had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula One over the past 15 years - there are far too many to mention and thank," he said in a statement.
"The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it. At the end of the year I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next.
"It is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family. But today is not about saying goodbye.
"Rather, it is about saying thank you – to everyone – not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula One could not exist."
Vettel began his F1 career in 2007 with BMW, then moved to Toro Rosso for a two-year stint before stepping up to join Red Bull.
Finishing second in his first season with Red Bull, Vettel then won four consecutive world titles from 2010 to 2013 and left to join Ferrari in 2015, spending six seasons there.
Vettel finished 12th in the drivers' championship in 2021, his first season with Aston Martin, and lies 14th in the standings in 2022 – having picked up just 15 points.
Aaron Rodgers has backed Allen Lazard to be the number one wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers in the forthcoming NFL season and fill the void left by Davante Adams' departure.
For the first time in his 18-year career, Rodgers heads into the season without a recognised starring man to target following Adams' move to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Lazard is the favourite to step up in the 2022 season, having hauled in 21 receptions for 290 yards and scored five touchdowns in the five matches at the end of the regular 2021 season.
Quarterback Rodgers thinks the 26-year-old can make a big impact.
"When you walk in the locker room for so many years and you see 87's locker, that's Jordy Nelson. You see Davante Adams. It gives you a different feel. You just kind of know that you got that guy," he said during a news conference.
"We have some opportunities for some guys to step into that role.
"I think Allen is ready to make a jump and be a number one wide receiver. [I'm] excited about the opportunity to work with him.
"He's capable of a lot. Since his first day, he's turned heads. He's been working hard. He has a lot to prove to himself I like a hungry Allen Lazard."
The Packers' offense has undergone a major reshuffle ahead of the new season, losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency and bringing in Sammy Watkins, as well as drafting three wide receivers.
Rodgers is pleased with the options he has to throw to as the Packers look to make the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.
"Allen sets the standard. Randall [Cobb] sets the standard. The young guys have to pay attention," he added.
"There is a lot of talent in that room for sure, and a lot of motivation for some of the comments that's been sent that room's way. I like what we did on day one."
The Packers face the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs in pre-season, before kicking off the new campaign at the Minnesota Vikings on September 11.
Green Bay Packers All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari barely played last season, and there’s no telling when he’ll be healthy enough to take the field this coming season after he had another procedure on his left knee.
The latest procedure would be at least the third known surgery since Bakhtiari suffered a torn left ACL on New Year’s Eve 2020.
Bakhtiari has played just one game since the original injury, and that came in the regular-season finale at Detroit on January 9 before he was shut down for the playoffs. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list Wednesday as the Packers opened training camp.
Bakhtiari attended the Packers’ offseason program but did not practice, and instead worked off to the side with the rest of the players rehabbing injuries.
''It's a nightmare, my nightmare that I have to live,'' Bakhtiari said. ''I don't know how many days it's been, but I'm just excited to wake up (from the nightmare) one day.''
The Packers remain hopeful that Bakhtiari will be ready for the season opener at Minnesota on September 11.
''I think we're cautiously optimistic,'' general manager Brian Gutekunst said.
Clearly, the Packers are going to take a cautious approach with Bakhtiari, who was playing well enough to earn first-team All-Pro honours for a second time when he originally hurt the knee. His first surgery came after the 2020 season, before the second procedure to reduce swelling in the knee during the 2021 regular season.
''Everyone loves timelines,'' Bakhtiari said. ''When I'm ready, I'll be out there. What I can say is I do feel really good. I really like – I feel normal.
"My knee feels normal and that's the biggest plus. Now it's just getting that normal feeling again when I play football, so that's what it is, the load, stress, strength, but we're not really in an ACL issue. That's actually been a long time ago that we put that chapter to bed.''
With Bakhtiari unavailable for either of Green Bay's past two playoff losses, the Packers allowed five sacks in each of those games.
Green Bay faces the possibility of opening this season without its two best offensive linemen. Elgton Jenkins is also attempting to come back from an ACL tear he suffered on November 21 against Minnesota.
The New York Yankees have acquired outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for three minor leaguers.
New York has been looking for an outfield bat with Giancarlo Stanton going on the injured list recently and Joey Gallo continuing his season-long struggles.
Benintendi, a first-time All-Star this season, was among the better rental bats available and is a free agent after this season. He is batting .321 with three home runs and 39 RBIs in 92 games for the Royals.
The left-handed hitting Benintendi spent his first five seasons with the Boston Red Sox before he was traded to Kansas City in February 2021.
He was one of 10 players that were unable to play in Kansas City’s recent series in Toronto because he is unvaccinated. The Yankees have three games remaining in Toronto this season.
The Yankees own the best record in the majors at 66-33 but have lost 12 of their past 20 games.
Despite missing a pair of National League MVP candidates, the St Louis Cardinals rode a big performance from future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols to a 6-1 away win against the Toronto Blue Jays.
With both Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado unavailable for their side's trip to Toronto due to their vaccination status, it was a combination of new blood and a blast from the past as they made it look easy.
40-year-old starting pitcher Adam Wainwright was at the peak of his powers, giving up just five hits and no walks for one earned run in seven innings, striking out eight batters.
While Wainwright controlled the contest with the ball, 42-year-old Pujols made noise with the bat, knocking a single in his first at-bat, a double in his second try, and then a massive 439-foot, three-run homer with his third trip to the plate. It was longer than any home run Pujols hit in this year's Home Run Derby.
Rookie Nolan Gorman – 20 years younger than Pujols – also went deep with a solo home run, while he and 24-year-old Lars Nootbaar were two of five Cardinals to collect multiple hits.
Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr finished two-for-four at the plate, while ace pitcher Kevin Gausman struggled in one of his worst performances of the season.
Gausman gave up five runs in less than five innings, allowing eight hits and a walk with his six strikeouts.
Mets walk-off against Yankees
The New York Mets threatened to waste a spectacular start from pitcher Max Scherzer, but ultimately got the job done in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the New York Yankees 3-2 in walk-off fashion.
Pete Alonso's solo home run in the second inning and Francisco Lindor's RBI single in the third frame were the only runs before Max Scherzer was withdrawn, having pitched seven shut-out innings.
As soon as Scherzer was removed, the Yankees came back with a two-run homer from Gleyber Torres, but Eduardo Escobar led off the ninth inning with a double, setting up Starling Marte to be the hero and drive him in with a base hit.
J-Rod does it again for the Mariners
Rookie All-Star Julio Rodriguez showed once again why he is one of the most exciting young talents in all of baseball, blasting a three-run home run to give his Seattle Mariners a 4-2 home win against the Texas Rangers.
Rodriguez, 21, stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning with two runners on base, trailing 2-1, and he connected on a 419-foot no-doubter over the left-field wall to snatch back the lead.
This season, Rodriguez leads all rookies in hits (96), runs (54), home runs (17), RBIs (53), and stolen bases (21).
It was smooth sailing for the seeded competitors in action on Wednesday at the Atlanta Open, with Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Brandon Nakashima all advancing in straight sets.
Fifth seed Paul started the day off with a straightforward 6-3 6-3 win against South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo thanks to a clear advantage with his serving. He won 73 per cent (36-of-49) of his points on serve, while Kwon could only muster 53 per cent (34-of-64).
Paul will meet Belarus' Ilya Ivashka in the quarter-finals after he successfully navigated the challenge of America's Steve Johnson 4-6 6-2 6-4 after Johnson was a late injury replacement for top overall seed Reilly Opelka.
Ivashka is now 6-3 in his nine matches since the French Open, with his only losses against top-five talents Stefano Tsitsipas and twice against Daniil Medvedev.
Fourth seed Tiafoe was impressive against Japan's Taro Daniel, creating eight total break point opportunities, and capitalising on three.
Tiafoe will play Nakashima in the quarter-finals, with the American surviving a tough first set tiebreaker to eventually defeat Australia's John Millman 7-6 (10-8) 6-4.
In a closely contested match, Nakashima avoided getting into many sticky situations, saving the only break point he faced.
Dominic Thiem battled his way into the quarter-finals of the Austrian Open at the expense of compatriot Sebastian Ofner on Wednesday.
Thiem reached his first semi-final since May 2021 at the Swiss Open last week and is looking to make further strides on home soil this week, having endured an injury nightmare.
The 2020 US Open champion made it through to the last eight in Kitzbuhel but had to dig deep for a 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory over qualifier Ofner.
Thiem only lost one point in the opening two games and wrapped up the first set in commanding fashion, but Ofner claimed the only break of the second set to force a decider.
The former world number three twice came from a break down in the final set to ensure he will face Yannick Hanfmann for a place in the semi-finals.
Seeds Aslan Karatsev and Joao Sousa bowed out, losing to Dusan Lajovic and Jiri Lehecka respectively.
Spanish trio Roberto Bautista Agut, Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Pedro Martinez advanced in straight sets.
Two of the top five seeds were knocked out of the Croatia Open, with Holger Rune and Alex Molcan falling in the round of 16.
Bernabe Zapata Miralles got the better of third seed Rune 3-6 6-3 6-2, while Roberto Carballes Baena ousted Molcan 3-6 6-2 6-3. Jannik Sinner and Giulio Zeppieri secured their quarter-final spots in Umag.
The San Francisco 49ers released defensive end Dee Ford on Wednesday, ending the former Pro Bowler's three-year tenure with the team that was often marred by injuries.
Signed to a five-year, $85.5million contract by San Francisco in 2019, Ford appeared in just seven games over the last two seasons and 18 total regular-season contests in that three-year period.
The 49ers acquired Ford from the Kansas City Chiefs in March 2019 in exchange for a 2020 second-round pick. The 31-year-old recorded 13 sacks and made the Pro Bowl in his final season in Kansas City, then had 6.5 sacks in 11 games with San Francisco in 2019.
However, Ford missed all but one game in 2020 due to a chronic back injury that limited him to six games this past season.
The move will save the 49ers around $1.1 million in 2022 but will leave the team with over $11.6 million in dead cap space over the next two seasons.
A first-round pick of the Chiefs in 2014, Ford twice posted double-digit sack totals during his five-year run in Kansas City and has 40 sacks in 85 games over eight NFL seasons.
Mike Trout has been sidelined with rib cage inflammation for the last two weeks and could be out several more after Los Angeles Angels trainer Mike Frostad revealed on Wednesday that the three-time league MVP has been diagnosed with a costovertebral dysfunction at his T5 vertebrae.
"This is a pretty rare condition that he has right now in his back," Frostad said before the Angels concluded a six-game road trip against the Kansas City Royals. "The doctor [Robert Watkins III], who is one of the most well-known spine surgeons in the country - if not the world, doesn't see a lot of these.”
Trout has not played since July 12 with what was first was being called back spasms before going on the injured list with rib cage inflammation. After an examination by Watkins, the co-director of the Marina Spine Clinic in Los Angeles, it was discovered that the rib issue was in fact the rare spinal dysfunction that Frostad said is something Trout will likely need to cope with for the rest of his playing career.
''We just have to take into consideration what he puts himself through with hitting, swinging on a daily basis just to get prepared, and then also playing in the outfield, diving for balls, jumping into the wall - things like that,'' Frostad said. ''And there's so many things that can aggravate it. But this doctor hasn't seen a lot of it.''
Over the All-Star break, Trout received a cortisone shot, which did alleviate some of the pain, according to Frostad. However, Frostad also said Trout will go at least another week before he partakes in any baseball activity.
"I think he's starting to feel like he's getting the benefits," Frostad said. "But long-term we do have to look at this as something that - he has to manage it, not just through the rest of this season, but also through the rest of his career probably."
Although the Angels entered play Wednesday 22.5 games behind the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West and 11 games out of the league's third wild-card spot, the team has not yet considered shutting Trout down for the rest of the season for the second year in a row.
Limited to just 36 games in 2021 due to a strained right calf, Trout was enjoying another stellar season upon his return this year, compiling 24 home runs, 17 doubles, 51 RBIs and 55 runs with a .270 batting average, .368 on-base percentage, and .599 slugging percentage in 79 games while being elected to his 10th All-Star Game.
The 30-year-old Trout will have another appointment with Watkins next week before the Angels map out a timetable for a potential return.
''He's going to have a follow-up here once we get back," Frostad said, "and we'll just kind of see what the doctor thinks at that point.''
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has criticised the FIA for planned proposals to make further technical regulation changes for the 2023 Formula One season.
Porpoising has been a major talking point in the 2022 season so far, with a number of teams, including Mercedes, struggling with bouncing down the straights at high speed.
Several drivers have complained about the situation and the FIA looks set to take action, with it understood flexible parts and porpoising will be targeted in a new technical directive from the Belgian Grand Prix.
Horner has been critical of any proposed changes throughout the saga, though, and has once again hit out, with his belief that teams have the control to remove the issues by raising ride height but are reluctant to do so due to a loss of speed.
"Changing rules because a couple of teams haven't managed to hit targets is never the right thing to do," he told Eurosport.
"If you want to have convergence in F1, the best thing to do is to leave it alone. Then all the teams will converge.
"What you would see next year, if the rules were left completely alone, I'd be surprised if you saw any bouncing because we've got some of the brightest engineers in the technical world solving these problems.
"These regulations are the biggest change we've had in 40 years. You can already see in recent races there's not been any sign of some of the bouncing from earlier in the year."
Red Bull's stance against further technical regulations has the backing of Ferrari, but Mercedes are continuing to push for changes on the grounds of safety, which has created a stir in the paddock.
The FIA has made it clear they will not back down on the upcoming regulation changes, set to be in effect for the Belgian Grand Prix on August 26-28th – the first race back following the mid-season break that will follow Sunday's race in Hungary.
Top seed Iga Swiatek brushed aside compatriot Magdalena Frech to advance to the last 16 at the Poland Open on Tuesday.
The Warsaw native took 73 minutes to secure a safe passage to the next round with a 6-1 6-2 victory, setting up a clash with Romanian Gabriela Lee – who defeated Raluka Serban on Tuesday.
Swiatek won 76.2 per cent of total service points and won 61.8 per cent of the overall points in the match, with Frech on the back foot throughout, extending her winning streak on clay to 17 matches.
It was Swiatek's first time on the court since defeat at Wimbledon to Alize Cornet, which brought an end to a remarkable 37-match unbeaten run.
Elsewhere, eighth seed Petra Martic overcame Weronika Falkowska 7-5 6-4, while there were also victories for Laura Pigossi, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Sara Errani and Ana Bogdan.
In the Prague Open, Wimbledon quarter-finalist Marie Bouzkova advanced after a dominant 6-1 6-2 victory against Czech teenager Dominika Salkova - setting up a clash against another teenager, 19-year-old Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva.
There were also victories for Chloe Paquet, Wang Qiang and Magda Linette on day five of the tournament.
A LIV Golf League with a 14-tournament schedule will be launched next year.
A controversial Saudi-backed 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series started last month, with the likes of Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson quitting the PGA Tour to join the breakaway tour.
Henrik Stenson is set to make his LIV Golf debut this week after he also defected, prompting the Swede to be stripped of Europe's Ryder Cup captaincy, while Brooks Koepka is among the other high-profile players to sign up.
LIV Golf on Wednesday announced an expansion for 2023, which will see an increase in tournaments for 48 players who will compete for 12 team franchises, with $405million in prize money up for grabs.
Events are set to take place in new locations in both the Americas and Europe, while players will also be expected to showcase their talents in Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East, Indonesia, China, Singapore and Hong Kong.
There will be a total of 25 LIV Golf tournaments next year and a Team World Championship match play grand finale at the end of the season.
LIV Golf stressed that the new 2023 league schedule will not compete with any of the four majors.
Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, said: "LIV Golf's expanding global platform will add a new dimension to the golf ecosystem as we know it, one that provides an opportunity for players and fans around the world to help maximise our beloved sport's true potential.
"Our franchise model will bring new energy and excitement to fans from all corners of the world, establishing a league of teams to connect and grow with. The International Series will attract new talent and offer unprecedented pathways that develop the next generation of stars.
"LIV Golf is committed to making sustainable investments that grow the game now and for the future, and we are proud to turn these dreams into a reality."
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