The Los Angeles Dodgers tied an MLB post-season record for consecutive scoreless innings by opening the National League Championship Series with Sunday's 9-0 rout of the New York Mets.

Jack Flaherty allowed just two hits through the first seven innings before relievers Daniel Hudson and Ben Casparius finished off the three-hit shutout to extend Los Angeles' streak of scoreless innings to 33, matching the longest run in a post-season set by the Baltimore Orioles during the 1966 World Series.

The top-seeded Dodgers have now won their last three games by shutout, having blanked the San Diego Padres in Games 4 and 5 of the NL Division Series to advance after losing two of the first three matchups.

Los Angeles also got plenty of offence to take a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven series. Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman each had two hits and a run batted in, while Mookie Betts knocked in three runs with a double in the eighth inning.

Ohtani did have a streak of 36 straight successful stolen base attempts come to an end when he was thrown out in the second inning, the NL MVP favourite's first time caught stealing since July 22.

The Dodgers had a 3-0 lead at that point after taking advantage of control issues from Mets starter Kodai Senga, who was making just his third MLB appearance in 2024 after missing extensive time with shoulder and calf injuries.

Senga walked Betts, Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez in succession as the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the first. Two batters later, Max Muncy singled to center to drive in Betts and Freeman for a quick 2-0 advantage.

Los Angeles extended the margin in the second after Gavin Lux drew another walk off Senga to begin the bottom of the inning. Tommy Edman followed with a sacrifice bunt in front of Ohtani's single to center that plated Lux for a 3-0 lead.

Senga lasted just 1 1/3 innings while surrendering three runs, two hits and four walks.

The Dodgers piled on further with three runs in the fourth. Edman drove in Enrique Hernandez with a single and later scored when Mets right fielder Starling Marte misplayed Ohtani's base hit to allow both runners to take an extra base. Freeman sent Ohtani home with a single two batters later to put New York at a 6-0 deficit. 

Flaherty, meanwhile, did not allow a hit until the fifth inning and retired the final eight batters he faced in a dominant performance. The mid-season trade acquisition finished his night with two walks and six strikeouts.

Betts capped the scoring in the eighth with a double that cleared the bases after the Dodgers had loaded them on a Hernandez single, an error and a walk to Ohtani.

The sixth-seeded Mets, who previously knocked out two division winners in the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies during this post-season, will attempt to rebound in Monday's Game 2 at Dodger Stadium. Sean Manaea will start for New York against Los Angeles' Walker Buehler. 

Breeanna Stewart scored 21 points and the New York Liberty pulled away late for Sunday's crucial 80-66 Game 2 win over the Minnesota Lynx that evened the WNBA Finals at 1-1.

The top-seeded Liberty closed the game on a 12-0 run to avenge Thursday's stunning home loss to the Lynx, in which second-seeded Minnesota overcame a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to rally for a 95-93 overtime win to open the championship series.

Minnesota put forth another late comeback try in Game 2, as it cut a 10-point third-quarter deficit down to two when Napheesa Collier's turnaround jumper with 6:46 remaining brought the Lynx within 64-62.

It remained a two-point game until New York's Betnijah Laney-Hamilton knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:21 left to give the Liberty a 71-66 lead and start the game-sealing final surge.

Laney-Hamilton went 4 of 6 from 3-point range and finished with 20 points for New York, which made good on 11 of 24 shots from beyond the arc (45.8 per cent) compared to 6 of 20 (30 per cent) for Minnesota.

Stewart added eight rebounds and five assists while setting a WNBA Finals single-game record with seven steals. Fellow All-Star Sabrina Ionescu chipped in 15 points and five assists to help the Liberty avoid a dreaded 0-2 deficit in the best-of-five series. 

Collier led the Lynx with 16 points and eight rebounds, while team-mate Courtney Williams recorded 15 points and eight assists and Alanna Smith had 14 points for Minnesota.

The Lynx will host the next two games of the series, with Game 3 to take place Wednesday in Minneapolis.

Ionescu scored 12 points in the first quarter as the Liberty took a 31-21 lead into the second, and New York shot 51.4 per cent in the first half to enter the break with a 49-39 advantage.

Minnesota trailed 64-55 early in the fourth quarter before closing the gap with a 7-0 run capped by Collier's jumper, which followed a 3-pointer from Kayla McBride.

Rafael Nadal deserves "everything in this world" in his retirement after the sacrifices he made during his tennis career, says former Moto GP world champion Jorge Lorenzo. 

Nadal officially confirmed his departure from the sport earlier this week, with his glittering 23-year spell on the court set to end after November's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.

The Spaniard has lifted 22 major titles, a total only bettered by Margaret Court, Novak Djokovic (both 24) and Serena Williams (23) in tennis history. 

An astonishing 14 of those came at the French Open, which is the most of any player at a single grand slam in history, leading him to be dubbed 'The King of Clay' at Roland-Garros. 

Nadal's 112 French Open wins are the most of any man at a single major in the Open Era, while his 14-0 record in Roland-Garros finals is the best recorded by anyone at an event in that span.

Nadal is the latest of the 'Big Four' to announce their departure from the sport after Andy Murray earlier this year, along with Roger Federer in 2022, with Djokovic the only one still playing.

Lorenzo, a five-time world champion who retired from motorsport five years ago, shared his experiences since leaving the track and what the future has in store for Nadal.

"Everyone experiences [retirement] in a different way," Lorenzo told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy.

"It has always been said that many athletes after retirement go into a kind of mini-depression and are a bit sad. 

"But in my case, it has been the opposite, I have lived five fantastic years. I have really enjoyed the freedom of being able to choose how and where to use my time.

"And I hope that Rafa is very happy because he deserves everything in this world for what he has sacrificed and for the great example that he has shown as an athlete to the whole society."

Nadal's first grand slam title came at the 2005 edition of Roland-Garros, while the 2022 season saw him triumph in the French capital and at the Australian Open. 

He is the only player to win at least one major in 15 different calendar years, and between 2005 and 2014, he never ended a season without a grand slam title.

Nadal finished 13 different years in the top two of the ATP World Rankings, more than any other player throughout the Open Era.

The 38-year-old will bring his storied career to a close on home soil in Malaga, where he will be part of Spain's Davis Cup team which also includes Carlos Alcaraz. 

Kimi Antonelli is relishing the opportunity of filling the "big seat" left by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2025 Formula One season. 

Antontelli was officially confirmed as Hamilton's successor in August and will race alongside George Russell next year for the German-based team. 

In obtaining a seat on the grid for the upcoming season, the 18-year-old will be the first Italian driver in the competition since Antonio Giovinazzi raced for Alfa Romeo in 2021. 

Antonelli sits sixth in the drivers' championship standings in Formula Two, winning at Silverstone and the Hungaroring in July for Prema Racing. 

He then made his debut in FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix for Mercedes, and after setting the fastest time on his first lap, crashed out on his second time around the Monza track. 

That raised questions about Mercedes' decision to replace the experience of Hamilton with the youth of Antonelli, though the latter is focused on enjoying the ride in F1. 

"Well, for sure, I'm taking a big seat," Antonelli told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy. 

"Obviously, I don't feel like I'm replacing him because he's been such a big figure, and he still is a big figure in the sport.

"So yeah, of course, it's an important seat, the one I'm taking, but I just see that I will take a Mercedes seat for next year, and I'm just going to enjoy the ride."

Throughout his career, Antonelli has been supported by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who offered some guidance to the teenager following a tough qualifying session at Silverstone – a weekend in which he went on to take his debut victory in F2.

"Well, I feel I'm very lucky to be with him. I will consider him like a second father for me," Antonelli added.

"He's always been there in the difficult moments and, of course, in the great moments.

"He's such a great supporter, and I'm really happy because next year, of course, is going to be a big year for me.

"I have a lot of things to learn and to have his support, but also the support of the whole team is going to be really important, and I'm really looking forward to that."

Antonelli will line up alongside Russell, who came through the ranks in F2 before joining Williams in 2019, and the youngster believes he can learn a lot from his soon-to-be team-mate.

"I haven't talked much with him because, obviously, he's very busy, he has a really tight schedule even during weekends, so I don't really want to bother him as well, but he's a really good driver, really fast, and I'm happy to have him next year because I can learn a lot from him," Antonelli said.

"I can learn especially on race pace because he has had good races as well, he's really good at managing the tyres, he also has speed and quality, so he's a pretty complete driver.

"It's good because next year I can learn a lot from him, and yeah, he just gave me a few pieces of advice but not much because, as I said before, he's pretty busy, and I don't really want to bother him."

Aryna Sabalenka is not thinking about claiming the world number one ranking after her Wuhan Open triumph on Sunday. 

Sabalenka downed home favourite and reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwhen, prevailing 6-3 5-7 6-3 to claim her fifth title on Chinese soil. 

The Belarusian became the player with the most main draw wins at the Wuhan Open since the tournament's inception in 2014, with this victory her 17th in as many matches at the competition.

Sabalenka is also only the second player, after Serena Williams at Miami (2013 to 2015) to win a WTA 1000 tournament in three consecutive editions, but faces a stern test in toppling Iga Swiatek at the summit of the WTA rankings ahead of the end of the season. 

"Really tight ranking right now," Sabalenka said. "Really nice to see. I always say, of course, it's one of my goals, but I prefer to focus on myself and just keep working hard.

"We'll see after the [WTA Finals] if I was good enough this season to become world number one."

Sabalenka (28) and Swiatek (30) are now the pair with the most WTA 1000 wins combined (58) in a single season, surpassing Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2013 (57).

But Sabalenka did not have it all her own way in Sunday's showdown with Zheng, who fought back in the second set to force a decider.

Sabalenka eventually halted Zheng's hopes of becoming just the second Chinese player to claim a WTA 1000 title after Li Na in 2012, but it was a tough test for the 26-year-old.

"First of all, I would say the conditions are probably a little bit better for her here," Sabalenka said.

"It's much slower and the ball's getting heavier. She has more things to do on the court when it's slower.

"Honestly, I felt like I just lost a little bit of focus and I let her come back in the match. I got a little bit frustrated there.

"It became a three-set match. Balls are getting heavier, in the third set, [it was] a bit emotional."

Aryna Sabalenka overcame home favourite Zheng Qinwen 6-3 5-7 6-3 to claim a third straight crown at the Wuhan Open.

US Open champion Sabalenka has an immaculate record at the WTA 1000 event, where she extended her dominance on Sunday.

The showdown was a rematch of this year's Australian Open final, in which Sabalenka also came out on top.

She is now unbeaten in four matches against Zheng, this year's Olympic champion. 

Having required just 38 minutes to take the first set, Sabalenka was pegged back in the second, eventually succumbing after saving four break points.

Yet the Belarusian regained the impetus in the decider, swiftly taking a double-break lead and hardly looking back from there.

Data Debrief: Queen of Wuhan does the three-peat

What a year it has been for Sabalenka, and after previously winning in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019, the world number two completed a hat-trick of trophies in style. She has played 17 times at the tournament and is yet to lose a match.

Sabalenka, who has won four trophies this year, is the second player, after Serena Williams at Miami (2013 to 2015), to win a WTA 1000 event in three consecutive editions of the tournament.

China is something of a home away from home for the 26-year-old, too. She is now the player to have won the most WTA-level titles on Chinese soil in the Open Era (five).

Meanwhile, Sabalenka and world number one Iga Swiatek are the pair with the most combined wins at WTA 1000 events (58) in a single season, surpassing Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2013 (57).

Jannik Sinner hopes to see Novak Djokovic fit and firing at the biggest tournaments for years to come.

Djokovic proved no match for Sinner as the world number one prevailed 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 on Sunday to win the Shanghai Masters.

Sinner's dominant display denied Djokovic what would have been his 100th ATP Tour-level title, albeit that trophy is bound to come sooner rather than later for the 37-year-old.

With Rafael Nadal having confirmed his retirement earlier this week, Djokovic is the final member of "the big four" remaining, following Andy Murray's retirement earlier this year.

And 23-year-old Sinner, who is now even at 4-4 in his head-to-head record with Djokovic, hopes to see the Serbian remain at the top of the game.

"It's so nice to see you still playing incredible tennis, you keep showing it year after year," Sinner told Djokovic during the trophy presentation.

"You are doing an incredible job, I wish you all the best, not only for this season but for staying healthy next season and hopefully seeing you as long as possible here on big stages."

Speaking to Sky Sports, Sinner said: "It was a very tough match, playing against Novak is one of the toughest challenges.

"He was serving great the first set, I couldn't find a way to break him, and then I played a very good tie-breaker which gave me confidence for the second set.

"Very happy with my performance through this whole tournament – a very special moment.

"[Djokovic [doesn't] have any weaknesses. You have to use the very small number of chances he gives you but there are not many through a whole match.

"You try to believe in every moment. He's a legend of our sport, he's very tough to play against so I'm very happy."

Sinner is the first player to claim three consecutive wins head-to-head against Djokovic since Nadal in 2013.

The Italian is only the fifth player aged 23 or under in the Open Era to win 6+ hard-court ATP titles in a calendar year after Jimmy Connors (1973), Ivan Lendl (1981), Pete Sampras (1994) and Roger Federer (2004).

Federer and Carlos Alcaraz were present in the stands during Sunday's showdown, and Djokovic quipped that only added to the pressure.

"It's really nice to see Roger, I'm not used to seeing you in the stands, I wish you were on the court playing with us," he said.

"It's probably the first time I played in front of you, so I had an added pressure, but thank you for being here. And Carlos as well."

Speaking to Sinner, Djokovic said: "Congratulations to Jannik, you were just too good today and you're having an incredible year – you deserve this.

"Congratulations to his team, as well, for a great week – well done, I'm really glad you guys are doing well, you deserve this."

Novak Djokovic's wait for his 100th ATP Tour title rolled on as Jannik Sinner cemented his place at the top of the world by claiming the Shanghai Masters title.

With Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer watching on from the stands, world number one Sinner turned in a sensational show of force to dispatch Djokovic 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 on Sunday.

Sinner needed just one hour and 39 minutes to wrap up his third ATP 1000 title of a remarkable season in which he has now won 65 matches.

The Italian did have to get the better of Djokovic in a tie-break to win the opener, but broke the Serbian great on three occasions to settle it in his favour.

Sinner kept up that momentum in the second set, though, with some slack shots from Djokovic enabling the 23-year-old to claim the crucial break in game four.

And with Djokovic unable to handle Sinner's powerful serve, the latter sealed the championship at the first time of asking, adding a seventh title to his haul for 2024.

Data Debrief: Sinner's statement of intent

Since 2015, Sinner – who has only lost six times this year – is just the fourth player to win at least seven Tour-level titles in a single season, after Djokovic (2023, 2016 and 2015), Federer (2017) and Andy Murray (2016).

At the age of 23 years and 58 days, Sinner has become the youngest player to win the Shanghai Masters and the youngest to clinch at least three ATP 1000 titles in a calendar year since Rafael Nadal (22 years and 334 days) in 2009.

Sinner is only the fifth player aged 23 or under in the Open Era to win six ATP titles on hard court in a single year after Jimmy Connors (1973), Ivan Lendl (1981), Pete Sampras (1994) and Roger Federer (2004).

He is also the first player to claim victory at consecutive ATP 1000 tournaments since Djokovic in 2020.

Sinner now holds a record of 28-3 at ATP 1000 events in 2024. Since the format's inception in 1990, only four players have achieved more match wins in a season - Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic.

Lane Thomas hit a grand slam off Tarik Skubal and Cleveland beat the Detroit Tigers 7-3 on Saturday in Game 5 of their AL Division Series, moving the Guardians into another postseason matchup against the Yankees.

Cleveland will meet New York in the AL Championship Series, setting up another playoff matchup between two teams that have crossed paths six previous times in October. They last met in 2022, with the Yankees taking their ALDS in five games.

Game 1 is Monday in the Bronx.

Thomas had five RBIs for the Guardians, who weren't expected to contend this season. But they won the tough AL Central under first-year manager Stephen Vogt, and Cleveland is still alive with a chance to end a World Series title drought stretching to 1948.

The Guardians had to take down Skubal, the front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award, to keep it going. The left-hander had not given up a run in 24 consecutive innings - 17 in this postseason - before the Guardians tagged him in the fifth for five runs, tying the most he allowed in 2024.

Cleveland had three singles in the inning – one on an infield roller – to load the bases before Skubal hit Ramírez on the left hand to force in a run.

That brought up Thomas, who hit a three-run homer in Cleveland's 7-0 win in Game 1.

The center fielder connected on Skubal's first pitch, sending it just over the 19-foot-high wall in left-center field.

When the ball touched down, the Guardians' dugout emptied and the screaming, red-clad Progressive Field crowd erupted in celebration.

As has been the case all season, Vogt leaned on his MLB-best bullpen, which showed some wear and tear.

After Thomas hit his homer, the Tigers threatened in the sixth, scoring a run on a single by Jake Rogers and loading the bases with two outs. But Hunter Gaddis struck out Kerry Carpenter, who won Game 2 with a three-run homer in the ninth.

The Tigers, though, kept clawing and closed to 5-3 on Colt Keith's one-out RBI double in the seventh. Eli Morgan came in for Cleveland and struck out both batters he faced.

Thomas hit an RBI single in the eighth to put the Guardians up by three, and that's when Vogt turned to All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase, the AL's saves leader, to put the Tigers away.

Throwing one 100 mph fastball after another, Clase got the final six outs. When he retired Keith on a routine grounder to first, the Guardians could finally exhale and plan for their first ALCS visit since 2016.

Jannik Sinner says it is a "special feeling" to confirm the year-end number one spot following his Shanghai Masters semi-final win.

Sinner is the first Italian to end a calendar year as number one, having clinched the top ranking with a 6-4 7-5 win over Tomas Machac.

He will face Novak Djokovic in his maiden Shanghai final, and his fourth consecutive showpiece, though he lost the most recent in Beijing to Carlos Alcaraz last week.

Sinner (2023-24) has become only the third player in the Open Era to reach seven or more ATP event finals on hard court in consecutive seasons after Roger Federer (2004-07 and 2014-2015) and Novak Djokovic (2011-13 and 2015-2016).

Sinner, who has 64 wins under his belt this season, is the 18th player to end the year as the top-ranked player and said he has fulfilled a childhood dream in doing so.

"It's amazing. It's something you dream of when you are a kid, when you are young, just to reach the number one," Sinner told Sky Sports.

"Now having the year-end, it's also a different and special feeling.

"It means so much to me, obviously. This is something I could not accomplish without all the people I have around — the family and friends and also a big credit to my team."

Former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza believes Shohei Ohtani is a "modern-day Babe Ruth" after his record-breaking season in MLB.

Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to exceed 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season last month.

So far, he has 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases and hit a three-run homer in his postseason debut when the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres last weekend.

This season, he also surpassed Hideki Matsui's record of 175 for the most home runs by a Japanese player in MLB history (now 225).

And Piazza, who played for the Dodgers between 1992 and 1998, believes Ohtani has already cemented himself among the greats of the game.

"So, he's probably a once-in-a-lifetime player that you're going to see," Piazza told Stats Perform. "I mean, you see players throughout history, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, guys that have done exceptional things, and I think he's no different.

"I mean, the fact that you have the size, the combination of power and speed and he can pitch. I mean he's kind of like a modern-day Babe Ruth.

"Babe Ruth was a great pitcher that a lot of people don't remember him as a pitcher and then ended up hitting over 700 home runs. So, he kind of redefined the sport. I think what Otani is doing now, and I think it also shows the impact and now the effect of Japanese players in the major leagues.

"I was fortunate to play with the first modern ball player, Hideo Nomo, who played for the Dodgers in '95. And ever since then, he was kind of the first pioneer. And now you're seeing Japanese players that want to prove their value in the major leagues. Before, it wasn't so prevalent.

"I mean, up until '95, there was only one in the '60s. So, I think that's another thing that he's done. He's encouraged a lot of attention for Major League Baseball in Japan, and so I mean he's a very special, special talent."

Ohtani's performance against the Miami Marlins on September 19 has been called "one of the greatest" single-game performances in history after he became the first 50-50 player and became the 16th player in MLB history to reach 10 or more RBI in a single game.

He also broke the Dodgers record for RBI in a single game and the most home runs in a single season for the franchise.

Asked if he thought Ohtani was the best baseball player he had ever seen, Piazza added: "He still has some time, I think, to put together a career. I mean he's only been here, what, maybe five years now?

"I think the one thing about baseball is that the true test of greatness would be over, like at least a decade. I'm curious to see if he starts to pitch again, if he starts to pitch and he is effective on the mound, and if he continues his forward hitting, his very hot hitting, and the speed too.

"Because when you play that type of game, when you're stealing, and you're running a lot, it is stressful on the body. So, I think the durability thing will start to come in over the course of the next four or five years for him.

"But he can do it. I mean he's physically strong, the size and the speed, so I'm not ready to say he's the greatest player ever. But he's on a great path and I think the only limits that he has will be if he can stay healthy."

Ohtani represents Japan internationally and could be set for an appearance at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 as baseball is reintroduced to the slate.

Piazza, who is currently the manager of the Italian national baseball team, thinks Ohtani has the ability to revitalise baseball players as global stars, especially if he does appear at the Games.

"I think baseball has been limited in their markets because, obviously, the United States, Latin America and the East, the Far East, Japan and Chinese Taipei, Taiwan, and Korea. But I think you're right [that he could revitalise interest]," Piazza said.

"I mean, the fact that he's doing some very special things in this new media age, because players can get more exposure than when I played.

"I mean, I only played in the 90s. And there wasn't a lot of people in Europe that knew, obviously, of what I was doing, obviously, in Japan because I was playing with Hideo Nomo. But that's probably the only reason.

"So yes, I think we're in a new age of multimedia and social media. I think he definitely has a chance to become a world star, which is rare for baseball, because baseball has always been, as I said, limited to those markets not so big in Europe and in Asia and, as I said, Latin America, so we'll see. I think he, if anybody, could do it he can."