Max Verstappen picked up where he left off by posting the fastest time in opening practice for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Verstappen, who has won 10 of the 12 rounds so far and will match Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive victories if he triumphs again on Sunday, finished 0.278 seconds clear of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Lewis Hamilton took third spot for Mercedes, three tenths adrift of Verstappen, with Sergio Perez fourth in the other Red Bull.

Verstappen dominated the opening half of the Formula One season to establish a 125-point championship lead in his pursuit of a third straight world title.

On Thursday, Hamilton raised the prospect of the Dutchman winning all of the remaining 10 rounds, and on the evidence of the first running, he will head into the weekend in front of an expectant Zandvoort crowd as the clear favourite to continue his commanding streak.

For Hamilton, the seven-time world champion said his goal for the second half of the season is to finish runner-up in the drivers’ standings.

The 38-year-old is currently fourth, 41 points behind Perez, who occupies second spot, and he will be relatively pleased with his opening salvo. Mercedes team-mate George Russell finished 11th, the best part of a second down.

Haas announced ahead of this weekend’s race that Nico Hulkenberg will be retained for a second term with the American team.

But the veteran German crashed out of practice after losing control of his machine through the penultimate corner. With his Haas beached in the gravel, the running was suspended.

Over at Ferrari, Charles Leclerc was only 16th, three spots ahead of Robert Shwartzman, a junior driver for the Italian team who stood in for Carlos Sainz for first practice.

McLaren driver Lando Norris finished sixth, one place behind Williams’ Alex Albon.

Second practice gets under way at 4pm local time (3pm BST).

Captain Iain Henderson has urged Ireland’s World Cup hopefuls to set aside any lingering anxiety about selection and play their way into Andy Farrell’s final squad.

Head coach Farrell will reveal his 33-man group for the tournament on Sunday afternoon in Dublin, having decided to bring forward the announcement by 24 hours.

Players have one final chance to secure a return ticket to France during Saturday evening’s warm-up clash with Samoa in Bayonne, with six set to suffer disappointment.

Ulster lock Henderson, who is preparing for his third World Cup, admits tension has increased in camp ahead of the looming cut.

“Close to half the squad haven’t been in this position before,” said the 31-year-old.

“What the players are focusing on is how they’re going to put their best foot forward for Faz (Farrell) to get a good glimpse of them.

“He knows each one of us pretty intimately at this stage and I feel that the final step that the players can take is to actually go out and show it again in the Test match this weekend.

“I think there is a type of anxiety there but the players are well used to being put in sticky situations, selections for cup finals, selections for tours, selections for Six Nations games.

“Obviously this one carries a slightly different weight but we’re a really tight-knit group, the guys who are feeling probably the worst about it are probably the best supported.”

Farrell has regularly insisted all 33 places in his squad remain up for grabs.

Yet, in reality, only a few spots appear undecided, leaving a handful of peripheral players battling it out.

It is unclear whether the Englishman will go for a 19/14 split of forwards and backs, or opt for 18/15.

The former would likely mean Stuart McCloskey and Keith Earls, who are set to start against Samoa at Stade Jean Dauger, and Jacob Stockdale and Ciaran Frawley, who will not be involved, are competing for one spot.

Hookers Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher, number eight Jack Conan and prop Dave Kilcoyne each have injury problems, albeit Farrell has been upbeat on those issues.

“Everyone’s looking after each other and ensuring whoever is left out will feel as little left out as possible,” said Henderson.

“I feel that the guys really do look out for each other and there’s a genuine care for how each other is feeling.”

Ireland’s World Cup campaign starts against Romania on September 9 in Bordeaux.

Their weekend clash with Samoa is the first meeting between the sides since the Irish won 47-5 at the 2019 tournament in Japan.

“This is their pre-World Cup campaign, similar to ours, coming to a crescendo,” said Henderson.

“It’s an exciting time for them, looking to have a shot at us. We’re looking to play the game we like to play.

“They pose huge threats, they’re definitely a different animal to the last time we played them.”

British underdog Daniel Dubois will draw inspiration from Tyson Fury when he faces world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night.

Dubois (19-1, 18KOs) will walk out at Tarczynski Arena in front of around 43,000 spectators this weekend with the majority inside the Polish venue supporting Ukrainian hero Usyk (20-0, 13KOs) given many Ukraine natives have resided in Poland since Russia’s invasion of their country last year.

While Dubois, 25, can expect a hostile ring walk for his first world title fight, his promoter Frank Warren has been here before.

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It was Warren and his Queensberry Promotions company that made the match-up between Fury and Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, which ended with the British heavyweight producing an enormous upset in Germany to claim the WBA, IBF and WBO belts in remarkable fashion.

That was Fury’s maiden world title bout and few gave him a chance, but he pulled off a shock victory on points in Dusseldorf and stablemate Dubois is now dreaming of doing the same in Wroclaw.

“All the great fighters had to do it. Before they were champions, people doubted them and had a lot of things to say,” Dubois told the PA news agency.

“Boxing is made up of opinions so I never take it to heart or let it break me. I am ready to go. Ready to go out there and prove what I need to do.

“Tyson is a good example. Look at what he has done and gone on to achieve now. I just need to get the prayers going and hopefully the big man upstairs hears me.”

Saturday’s show is the start of a busy period for Warren and Queensberry Promotions with a rematch between Joe Joyce and China’s Zhilei Zhang scheduled on September 23 at Wembley Arena.

Meanwhile, Fury is due to step in the ring to take on mixed martial arts fighter Francis Ngannou in a boxing contest on October 28 in Saudi Arabia, but the Briton’s WBC heavyweight title will not be at stake.

A successful couple of months for Warren’s fighters could result in an in-house unification bout at the start of 2024.

Warren told PA: “Every big heavyweight fight our fighters are involved in.

“Regarding Tyson’s future, it all depends on what happens on August 26th so it is an interesting time for the heavyweight decision.

“We’ve seen the odds upset and I just feel it is Daniel’s time. I know he has all the equipment to do it, he can punch from both hands, he has a great jab, good speed and footwork.

“It will all be about his temperament and I believe his temperament will see him through.

“No one gave Tyson a chance and over the years we’ve done a few of those fights, so I hope it is the case again. At the end of the day, Daniel has got a massive opportunity and if it comes out right for him, it would be brilliant.”

Plenty has been thrown at Dubois since the fight was confirmed with his age and lack of experience cited as big weaknesses, while the bookmakers have him as a huge outsider.

The Londoner has fought 20 times since he turned professional in 2017 but notably took a knee which allowed himself to be counted out in the 10th round of a clash with Joyce three years ago due to a grotesquely swollen left eye.

Dubois received a barrage of criticism for ‘quitting’ from current and former boxers. It was later revealed he suffered a broken orbital bone and nerve damage around his eye in addition to retinal bleeding.

After rebuilding his career in America, Dubois now enters his first world title fight at the age of 25 but with more heavyweight bouts than Usyk and a secret weapon in new trainer Don Charles, who was in Derek Chisora’s corner when the Briton pushed Usyk all the way at Wembley Arena in 2020.

Dubois added: “I have been boxing for most of my life so that (age) argument is out of the window. I have the experience and I need to be a veteran in this fight.

“I have to bully him. I have to go in there and be the bully. Be the bully and shake him up.

“Yeah, Don will be putting in things that I am not even aware of style-wise and coach-wise. He has a lot of passion and that is what you need.

“You need the bully-the-bull type mentality to go in there and f*** s*** up, as they say. That is what we need to do.”

The high-class Nostrum bids to get back to winning ways in the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall Stakes at York on Saturday.

Sir Michael Stoute’s talented son of Kingman has won three of his five career starts and having missed the first half of his three-year-old campaign through a setback, returned in imperious fashion in the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket.

However, things did not go to plan at Goodwood in the Thoroughbred Stakes, with Nostrum struggling to pick up with his usual zest in the testing ground and having to settle for a length defeat behind Epictetus.

With conditions set to be much more in the colt’s favour on the Knavesmire, connections are hoping to see their exciting prospect bounce right back to his best in a contest the Freemason Lodge handler has won twice since 2017.

“He’s in good form, obviously it didn’t work out for him the last day but he came out of the race very well,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“We think he’ll have come forward for the run and we’re looking forward to getting him back on a better surface and a more conventional track.

“Hopefully we’ll see the Nostrum we saw at Newmarket again.

“We all called it wrong, we thought he’d have liked the ground the last day as he’s a big horse and he bends his knee a bit.

“We were all wrong and Ryan (Moore) just felt that he couldn’t pull himself out of it, it was gluey.

“There was the factor too that he’d been off the track for so long, there may have been a bounce on his second start – we don’t know but he’s training well and we’re looking forward to seeing him.”

Owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum finished second in this 12 months ago and will attempt to go one better with El Drama, who was beaten only a neck on his first start for Karl Burke in Haydock’s Rose of Lancaster Stakes.

The Spigot Lodge team are also represented by Flight Plan who has shown glimpses of real ability this term and was a also a runner-up when last sighted.

Jimi Hendrix’s Royal Hunt Cup victory earnt himself a step up to Group Two company for the Summer Mile earlier in the season and he has been given another chance to thrive in Pattern company at a track handler Ralph Beckett believes will suit.

He said: “He’s in good form. I felt it was a little bit too quick for him back after Ascot. In retrospect the Summer Mile was quite hard on him.

“I think the nature of this race will set up well for him. I think the flat track will suit him well, he’s not so good on the undulations.”

Five go to post for this Group Three event with Richard Fahey’s hat-trick-seeking Spirit Dancer and Charlie Johnston’s Ganton Stakes scorer Chichester completing the line-up and both bringing smart course form to the table.

England face Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday in a send-off for the World Cup that is fraught with danger given the Islanders have toppled Tonga, Japan and Samoa in recent weeks.

Here the PA news agency examines five talking points ahead of the final Summer Nations Series match.

Crisis management

England have yet to set foot in France but already events are conspiring against them. While the disciplinary lapses that have seen Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola banned for dangerous tackles are problems of their own making, the growing number of injuries are a cruel misfortune. Anthony Watson joins Jack van Poortvliet in being ruled out of the tournament before a ball is kicked and there are significant concerns over Tom Curry and Elliot Daly, both of whom face a race against time to be fit for the crucial opener against Argentina on September 9.

Jonny set to answer May day call

Watson’s calf injury that was sustained against Ireland has resulted in a World Cup reprieve for Jonny May, who Steve Borthwick all-but confirmed will be plugging the gap in the 33-man squad. Injury and repeated bouts of Covid-19 have conspired against May in recent times, but the ultra-professional England wing is capable of scoring spectacular tries out of thin air and will bring the kick-chase pressure and aerial threat that was missing in Dublin.

Keep your heads

It is a message that had been drummed into the players – no more cards. In the last four Tests England have been shown three reds and four yellows in an alarming collapse in discipline headlined by Farrell and Vunipola being sent off by the bunker review system. Borthwick is confident their respective four and two-game bans can be absorbed by the depth in their positions, but knows that an underperforming team that has lost four of their last five games must keep 15 players on the pitch if they are to halt the slide.

100 not out

Courtney Lawes becomes only the fifth man to make a century of Test appearances for England when he leads Borthwick’s side out at Twickenham. The achievement is a victory for resilience in the face of persistent injuries and the willingness to evolve as a player. Lawes’ calling card early in his career was as a defensive hitman whose bone jarring tackles were a favourite on highlights reels, but he has since added more layers including a smart carrying game based on footwork, line-out expertise and better handling. Having set out on his 14-year international odyssey as a second-row, he is now the epitome of the modern blindside flanker.

Fiji on the rise

Given Japan’s dispiriting slump since lighting up the 2019 World Cup, Fiji have emerged as disruptors with the heavyweights in their sights. Both Wales and Australia will be eyeing their Pool C encounters nervously as the Islanders, bolstered by the success of their Fijian Drua side in Super Rugby, have added a strong scrum, greater cohesion and superior conditioning to the magical attacking skills that are their bread and butter. Waisea Nayacalevu and Semi Radradra have been paired together in the centres against England, taking star billing in a rotated side that will ask questions at Twickenham even if short of full strength.

Matt Hudson-Smith revealed his injury battle after a brave 400 metres silver – but insisted the world title slipped through his fingers.

Just as gold seemed to be his at the World Championships in Budapest, the 28-year-old was caught by Antonio Watson with just metres left.

Hudson-Smith, who ran 44.31 seconds, was leading down the final straight but Jamaica’s Watson began to make ground with 50m remaining and snatched the lead with around 10m left.

The Briton, who had been battling Achilles tendonitis since May which threatened his hopes of competing in Hungary, struggled to hide his frustration.

“I came here looking for gold,” said the double European champion. “You are never satisfied, you’re always going to want more. Even when you look back and go: ‘what if?’ I’m grateful but I know there’s more.

“It’s been a topsy-turvy year. I’ve had Achilles tendonitis really badly so that’s why I’ve been pulling up, that’s why I’ve been in a wheelchair in London (Diamond League). Sometimes I can’t walk, sometimes I can.

“My Achilles has been mashed up bad. This has been like a mental battle. I came for the gold, tired up (in the) last 30 (metres) but under the circumstances I can’t complain.

“It was do or die. I tried to find a gear but that’s what happens when you don’t really have races. I found an extra gear in the semi-finals but it’s not there yet. I’m going to finish off the season, aim to get 43 (seconds), finish off strong.”

Last year, immediately after winning world bronze in Eugene, the Wolverhampton runner revealed he struggled with his mental health to the point where he tried to take his own life.

A little more than 13 months on and Hudson-Smith can call himself one of the world’s best, ahead of next year’s Olympics in Paris.

He had set a new personal best of 44.26 seconds in the semi-final, breaking a 36-year-old European record in the process.

“Next year, we’ve got big plans. I’ve just got to stay healthy,” said Hudson-Smith.

“That’s the moral of my story in my career, to stay healthy but we’re getting there. It’s just building consistency. Once I’m there, it will be 43s and golds.”

He added to the British medals after golds for Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Josh Kerr in the heptathlon and 1500m and Zharnel Hughes’ 100m bronze.

Earlier on Thursday, Ben Pattison reached the 800m final but Max Burgin and Daniel Rowden failed to progress while Jamaica’s Danielle Williams claimed the women’s 100m hurdles title with the Netherlands’ Femke Bol winning the women’s 400m hurdles.

Corbin Carroll hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Arizona Diamondbacks to their fifth straight win, 3-2 over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.

After the Reds scored twice in the top of the eighth to take the lead, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led off the bottom half with a walk. Alex Young got Evan Longoria to fly out before Carroll followed with his 22nd home run of the season for a 3-2 lead.

Miguel Castro got the final out of the eighth for the win and Paul Sewald worked around a one-out walk in the ninth for his seventh save since joining the Diamondbacks.

Arizona has won eight of nine to move past Cincinnati and San Francisco into sole possession of the third and final NL wild-card spot.

Merrill Kelly had a stellar start for Arizona, allowing one hit over seven scoreless innings while matching a career high with 12 strikeouts before leaving with an undisclosed injury. 

He was warming up in the eighth but grimaced after throwing a pitch. Kelly walked around the mound for a few seconds before leaving the field with Arizona’s medical staff.

Rookie Brandon Williamson was almost as good for Cincinnati, yielding six hits in six shutout innings with one walk and six strikeouts.

Nick Senzel had a pinch-hit home run in the eighth for the Reds, who had a three-game overall winning streak snapped and fell to 0-4 this season against the Diamondbacks.

Jeffers hits late HR as Twins extend Rangers’ slump

Pinch-hitter Ryan Jeffers hit a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning, Michael A. Taylor went deep twice and the Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 7-5 Thursday, handing the Rangers their seventh straight loss.

The Twins entered the eighth trailing by a run but tied the game when Matt Wallner scored from first on a Carlos Correa double. With two outs, Jeffers pitch hit for Edouard Julien and hit the go-ahead blast off Will Smith.

Royce Lewis and Kyle Farmer also went deep for Minnesota, while Texas came up short despite home runs from Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Leody Tavares.

Twins Reliever Josh Winder held the Rangers hitless in three innings to keep the game close, and Griffin Jax induced a game-ending double play for his second save of the season.

Minnesota expanded its lead in the AL Central to six games with the win, while Texas failed to expand on its one-game lead in the AL West.

Verdugo, Abreu help Red Sox rip Astros

Alex Verdugo and rookie Wilyer Abreu each had four hits and a home run to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 17-1 rout over the Houston Astros.

Verdugo led off the game with his home run and finished 4 for 7, while Abreu was 4 for 5 with a walk.

Every player in Boston’s starting lineup had at least one hit and at least one RBI as the Red Sox had the highest-scoring game of their season.

Red Sox starter Brayan Bello earned his 10th win, working around nine hits and three walks to allow one run in seven innings.

Boston has won 10 of its last 15 games but still trails Houston and Seattle by 3 ½ games in the chase for the AL’s final wild card spot.

Rory McIlroy is three strokes behind the leaders at the Tour Championship after he said he suffered muscle spasms going into the tournament as he tries to win his fourth FedEx Cup title.

McIlroy is the only three-time winner of the FedEx Cup after overturning a six-shot deficit in the final round of the same tournament last year.

He said he is “over the moon” to be placed where he is considering the spasms.

“I was at the bottom of a squat, a body-weight squat, and my whole lower back spasmed, seized up. I couldn’t move. I honestly couldn’t address the ball this time yesterday,” McIlroy said.

“So, yeah, I mean, I hung in there and I just felt like if I could get through today, it’s better than it was yesterday, hopefully tomorrow’s better than it was today, and just sort of try to keep progressing.”

McIlroy is sitting on seven under par in tied seventh after he finished the day with the same score as he started with, hitting four birdies and just as many bogeys.

“So I was always going to tee off. It was just a matter of how I felt on the course,” McIlroy said.

“And it got progressively a little tighter as I went, but it will hopefully get loosened up here and just another 20, or 18 hours of recovery and go again.”

There is a three-way tie for the lead between Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley and Viktor Hovland on 10 under par.

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is even with McIlroy in seventh spot while Tyrell Hatton is one stroke behind the pair.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy could miss the start of the upcoming NFL season after injuring his right hamstring in Thursday's practice.

An MRI taken on Jeudy's hamstring revealed a moderate injury that is expected to sideline the 2020 first-round pick multiple weeks, according to NFL.com. The Broncos begin their season in 17 days with a home game against the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 10. 

"Hopefully it's not anything long term," Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters after Thursday's practice.

The Broncos are already thin at the wide receiver spot after projected starter Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon earlier this month. Denver also waived slot receiver KJ Hamler early in camp after he was diagnosed with a heart condition, though the team has indicated it could bring him back if medically cleared.

Jeudy, who led Denver in receptions (67), receiving yards (972) and touchdown catches (six) last season while recording career highs in all three categories, has had trouble staying healthy in the past. He missed seven games in 2021 with a severe high-ankle sprain and two last season with another ankle injury.

The former University of Alabama star finished his 2022 campaign strongly by averaging 91.6 receiving yards over the final five games, which ranked fourth in the NFL over that time frame. Jeudy began that stretch with three touchdown catches against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14. 

Jeudy's injury leaves veteran Courtland Sutton as possibly Denver's lone established wide receiver for the season opener, and could force 2023 second-round pick Marvin Mims Jr. into a prominent role right away in his rookie season. 

David Haye believes the smoothest and possibly only route to an undisputed world heavyweight title fight is by Daniel Dubois pulling off a major upset against Oleksandr Usyk this weekend.

Usyk, the WBA, IBF and WBO champion, will take on mandatory challenger Dubois in Wroclaw, Poland, on Saturday after negotiations for a showdown against WBC belt holder Tyson Fury broke down earlier this year.

Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were also at an impasse when they held the major world titles, with Lennox Lewis the last recognised undisputed champion in the division nearly a quarter of a century ago.

Competing interests have often got in the way, but Haye pointed out Dubois and Fury are both represented by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions and argued a fight between the duo should be simpler to make.

Haye told the PA news agency: “It feels like we’ve had three or four opportunities where the fighters with the belts could have come together and done a deal. For whatever reason, it hasn’t materialised.

“We’re in a position where if Dubois wins on Saturday night, one promotional entity holds the champions of all of the belts – there would never be an easier time, politically, to make the undisputed fight.

“If Usyk wins, is Tyson Fury ever going to fight Usyk? I don’t know. For one reason or another, it doesn’t seem like it’s gelling. If it hasn’t happened by now, is it going to happen? Probably not.

“We want to know who’s number one. If Dubois wins then that makes it possible and the fight fans finally, after all of these years, will have one champion with all of the belts.”

Haye recognises Dubois has a mountainous challenge ahead of him, with Usyk a prohibitive favourite to retain his world titles and extend his unblemished professional record to 21 wins from as many bouts.

Usyk’s dazzling footwork and blurring hand speed from a southpaw stance has led to many suggesting the heavy-handed Dubois has just a puncher’s chance despite having height and weight advantages.

However, Haye feels Dubois (19-1, 18KOs) has nothing to lose and that his learning curves in a loss to Joe Joyce in 2020 and having to get up off the canvas three times before stopping the lightly-regarded Kevin Lerena last December are hugely beneficial for the Londoner’s chances heading into this weekend.

Haye, who alongside Usyk and Evander Holyfield are the only fighters to have won world cruiserweight and heavyweight titles, added: “I like the fact there’s no pressure on Dubois whatsoever.

“He’s got everything to gain. Nobody is expecting him to be able to cause an upset here. He has the firepower, all he needs is one punch, one clean shot.

“He had a very interesting fight against Kevin Lerena where he was put down early from a southpaw who was a former cruiserweight.

“He understands that he’s bigger and stronger but he can be hurt, that was the best thing for him because it gives him the reality of what he’s putting himself in (when he takes on Usyk).

“It looks from the outside like a mission impossible but I’m liking what I’m hearing from him – he’s talking about making it rough and uncomfortable for Usyk and that’s exactly what he needs to do.

“He may get dropped or hurt or some facial damage but he’s going to need to work through that to get to the promised land if he wants an opportunity to seriously gatecrash the heavyweight division.”

:: Watch Usyk v Dubois exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office on Saturday 26 August. Learn more at www.tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice

Stephen Strasburg's star-crossed MLB career is coming to an end.

The three-time All-Star and 2019 World Series MVP reportedly plans to retire at age 35.

The news was first reported by The Washington Post on Thursday.

When healthy, Strasburg was one of the top pitchers in baseball, but since signing a seven-year, $245million contract just after leading the Nationals to the franchise's first championship, injuries have derailed his career, limiting him to eight starts in the last four seasons.

The first overall pick of the 2009 MLB draft, Strasburg broke onto the scene as a 21-year-old a year later, striking out 14 over seven innings in his MLB debut on June 8, 2010.

From 2012-2019, he went 106-54 with a 3.21 ERA and 1,579 strikeouts - the fifth most in MLB over that span. His 242 strikeouts in 2014 led the NL.

He won a league-best and career-high 18 games in 2019, and shined in the playoffs, going 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA with 47 strikeouts over 36 1/3 innings across six games.

Fresh off a World Series title, the Nationals rewarded him with a massive payday, but he's endured a number of arm injuries, and has managed to pitch just 31 1/3 innings.

In 2021, he underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, a procedure that included the removal of a rib and two neck muscles. Since then, he has been unable to return to full strength.

He missed almost all of the 2011 season after having Tommy John surgery, and the Nationals were extremely cautious with his health upon his return, monitoring his innings.

They famously shut him down in September 2012, and kept him from pitching in the playoffs, despite the fact he earned his first All-Star Game selection and won 15 games with a 3.16 ERA for the NL East champions. The decision to take the ball away from their ace was highly scrutinized and possibly cost the team a chance at a championship, as Washington lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division Series.

Seven years later, the Nationals finally were vindicated for shutting down their best pitcher, with Strasburg winning both of his starts against the Houston Astros in the World Series.

He last pitched June 9, 2022 - his lone appearance last year - permitting seven runs in 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Miami Marlins.

In 247 career starts, he went 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA and 1,723 strikeouts in 1,470 innings.

Among pitchers with a minimum of 1,000 innings, his strikeout rate of 10.55 ranks seventh in MLB history.

Defending champion and world number one Carlos Alcaraz stands in the way of British success at the US Open, which starts in New York next week.

Three of the four British men who have qualified automatically have been drawn in the same quarter as the Spaniard, who also claimed his first Wimbledon title over Novak Djokovic in July.

Alcaraz, who starts against Germany’s Dominik Koepfer, is seeded to face Dan Evans in round two and Cameron Norrie in round three.

Meanwhile he could also face Andy Murray in the last eight if Murray, the 2012 champion, battles through a tough draw that could include Grigor Dimitrov in round two and sixth seed Jannik Sinner in round four.

Jack Draper, the only British player not drawn in the same quarter as the irrepressible Spaniard, starts against Romania’s Radu Albot.

The draw also raises the prospect of Alcaraz renewing his quarter-final rivalry with Sinner, one year on from their epic last eight clash that lasted more than five hours and ended shortly before 3am.

Reigning women’s champion Iga Swiatek starts against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson and could face a quarter-final meeting with sixth seed Coco Gauff.

Gauff – who is likely to have to negotiate surging 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva in round two – beat Switek for the first time in eight attempts in Cincinnati last week.

Caroline Wozniacki will face a qualifier as she makes her return after a three-year retirement and could meet former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in round two.

British number one Katie Boulter starts against Diane Parry of France, and could meet another French player, seventh seed Caroline Garcia, in round two.

Boulter lost in the first round of her only previous main draw appearance in 2021, but is enjoying a fine season including a run to the third round of Wimbledon.

Jodie Burrage will make her US Open draw debut against Anna Blinkova, with a second round meeting with second seed Aryna Sabalenka the likely prize.