Casper Ruud believes his 50th Tour-level victory of 2024 was one of his best after he upset third seed Carlos Alcaraz in his opening match of the ATP Finals on Monday.
Ruud, who had registered just two wins since the US Open, sealed a 6-1 7-5 win in just 86 minutes against Alcaraz for his maiden Top 3 triumph on hard courts.
The Norwegian reeled off five consecutive games from 1-1 to claim the first set at a canter but had to battle from the brink to secure a straight-set victory in Turin.
Alcaraz had raced into a 5-2 lead in the second set but was unable to hold on, with Ruud roaring back to sit top of the early standings in the John Newcombe Group.
"It's only one match, but it's one of the best wins of the season in terms of who I am playing and his ranking," Ruud said.
"I feel really happy, of course. I think we have seen Carlos play better tennis, but I took care of my chances.
"I haven't been boosting with confidence in the last few months so it was a great win for me and I would like to get some more wins in Turin.
"I got a good start, I got a break early and in the second set I managed to turn it around with some good tennis at the end."
Ruud will next seek to earn a second win on Wednesday when he will face either Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev, who play later on Monday.
Data Debrief: Ruud awakening
Although Alcaraz appeared below his physical best during Monday's encounter, Ruud took full advantage to continue his impressive streak against the very best in the world.
The Norwegian's latest win saw his record against players in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings improve to 5-2, and he was a worthy winner in Turin.
Ruud converted all four of the break points he was presented with, ending the contest with 10 unforced errors compared to Alcaraz's 26.
Patrick Mahomes says "any way you win is good" in the NFL after the Kansas City Chiefs blocked a last-minute field goal to beat the Denver Broncos.
The Chiefs held out for a 16-14 win on Sunday, with their defense proving the difference as Denver's only points were all scored in the second quarter.
Leo Chenal then pulled off the big play in the final seconds to secure the win, blocking Will Lutz's 35-yard field-goal attempt in the final seconds.
Kansas City trailed 14-3 late in the second half before Travis Kelce's touchdown and Harrison Butker's two field goals turned the game in their favour.
And even though the Chiefs' offense was not at its best, Mahomes, who completed 28 of 42 passes for 266 yards, says they are still happy with the result.
"Yeah, they all feel like wins," the quarterback told reporters. "I've learned that any way you win is good in this league.
"Obviously, there's stuff to learn from. I thought we did good things in good spots. I missed – I mean, if I made the touchdown throw to Trav [Kelce] and I made the touchdown throw to [Xavier] Worthy, we're probably in a different situation.
"I think more than anything [during the last play], I was just sick that last drive because I missed that touchdown throw that would've given us the chance to make it where they [the Broncos] had to score a touchdown.
"I thought our defense stepped up in that second half and did a great job. I was just happy. I was happy that we ended with that block and Leo [Chenal] got through there. It was just joy after that."
The two-time reigning Super Bowl champions are aiming for an unprecedented 'three-peat' and are on a 15-game winning streak, including the playoffs, dating back to Week 17 of last season.
Kansas City (9-0) are the only team in the NFL with a perfect record so far, and though Mahomes was delighted to keep that run going, he acknowledged it would be tough to maintain it.
"You live for these moments [at the end of the game]," he added. "When you grow up playing football, you live for the walk-off, whatever it is.
"It's special when you build [with] these guys for so long, and you've built this chemistry with them and guys get to make that play.
"It's week-to-week in this league. We know it’s going to be a great challenge this next week – Buffalo's playing great football.
"We know they'll be fiery, and they're going to be trying to beat us, so we're going to [have to] play better and execute at a higher level in order to win."
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown was disappointed with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo after he offered him a fake handshake during their 113-107 win on Sunday.
The incident happened in the second quarter of Boston's victory when Antetokounmpo offered his hand to Brown after giving away an offensive foul.
But before Brown could accept it, the former MVP pulled his hand back and ran it through his hair. After laughing about it, he then reached out to offer Brown his hand again, although the gesture was not accepted and Brown shook his head.
"Giannis is a child," Brown said after the game. "I'm just focused on helping my team get a win. And that's what we did tonight."
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, was surprised to hear that Brown had reacted so badly after the game after having previously joked with Brown on the court.
"We always joke around with the flow of the game," Antetokounmpo said. "It's something that I do to my kids, I play around.
"This is who I am. I play the game with fun, joy."
The Bucks held the lead at half-time, with Antetokounmpo scoring 19 points in the first quarter, his highest-scoring quarter this season. However, they could not hold out for the win as they fell to 2-8.
After the game, Antetokounmpo – who eventually finished with 42 points and 13 rebounds – was complimentary about Brown in an attempt to seemingly smooth things over.
"I think he's an incredible player," he said. "I'm just going to continue to be me. And at the end of the day, if I'm called a child, so be it.
"I just try to go out there and have fun. But again, [he is a] great player, great competitor. If I have another opportunity, I'll do it again."
Brown was called for a flagrant foul against Antetokounmpo in the fourth quarter after challenging him in the air, with the official saying it was excessive and unnecessary contact.
The foul was, according to Brown, not intentional or in response to the earlier handshake gesture.
Michael Malone is running out of superlatives for Nikola Jokic, who the Denver Nuggets coach labelled "the best player in the world".
Jokic posted a triple-double of 37 points, 15 assists and 18 rebounds as the Nuggets claimed a 122-120 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. He is the first player in NBA history to finish with that stat line.
The Nuggets needed a last-gasp mid-range jumper from Michael Porter Jr. to clinch their fifth straight win, though Jokic's performance rightly stole the show.
It was Jokic's fourth straight triple-double. The Serbian is averaging 29.7 points per game this season, the fourth-highest PPG average in the NBA, while his 13.7 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game are league-highs.
Speaking to the press after the game, Malone quipped: I would assume that after tonight's performance, he'll only be fifth in the MVP voting.
"He just needs to do more for us, because clearly what he’s been doing hasn't been noticed by anyone on the outside of this Rocky Mountain empire.
"But, 37-15-18, three steels, the minutes that he played – 38 is a good number, I'm happy about that, we kept him under 40.
"On a serious note, just incredible. We're all running out of words, adjectives and ways to describe his greatness and his impact.
"The simple way to say it is he’s the best player in the world. That's the best way to say it, in my opinion."
Jokic has won the NBA's MVP award in three of the past four seasons.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, have now lost four of their last six games.
Kyrie Irving top-scored with 43 points, while Luka Doncic added 24, but it was not enough for Dallas to get back on track following a defeat to the Phoenix Suns.
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced that starting center Chet Holmgren will be sidelined from eight-to-10 weeks with a pelvic fracture he sustained in Sunday's game against the Golden State Warriors.
Holmgren has been diagnosed with a right iliac wing fracture as the result of a hard fall the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year runner-up took while contesting a shot during the first quarter of the Thunder's 127-116 loss to Golden State.
The 2022 No. 2 overall pick played a big role in the 8-1 start Oklahoma City took into Sunday's contest. Holmgren entered the game averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds while shooting 40 per cent from 3-point range, and his 2.6 blocks per game currently ranks third in the NBA.
Oklahoma City was already without another of its top big men for the foreseeable future, as center Isaiah Hartenstein is expected to be sidelined into December after fracturing his left hand during the pre-season.
Hartenstein signed a three-year, $87 million contract with the Thunder during the offseason, the largest deal in franchise history, after averaging 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game for the Knicks in 2023-24 and helping New York win 50 games while reaching the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Holmgren missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a Lisfranc fracture in his foot, but came back to put together a strong debut campaign for a Thunder team that went 57-25 and earned the Western Conference's No. 1 seed in 2023-24.
The 7-footer averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while playing in all 82 games to finish second behind San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama in NBA Rookie of the Year voting.
Stephen Curry scored a season-high 36 points and the Golden State Warriors held off a late comeback attempt from the Oklahoma City Thunder to come away with a 127-116 win in Sunday's clash between two of the Western Conference's top teams so far this season.
Curry had seven of the Warriors' 21 makes from 3-point range to help Golden State improve to 8-2, tied with the Thunder and Phoenix Suns for the West's best record. The Warriors also received 20 points off the bench from Jonathan Kuminga and 19 points and 10 rebounds from De'Anthony Melton.
Oklahoma City lost for the second time in three games following a 7-0 start after trailing by as many as 30 points in the third quarter and losing starting centre Chet Holmgren in the first. The 7-footer did not return after injuring his right hip following a hard fall just over five minutes into the contest.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 24 points but was held to 6-of-17 shooting. Jalen Williams went 9 of 15 from the field while recording 20 points.
The Warriors trailed 33-26 after one quarter but took control in the second, using a 10-2 run to open up a 58-49 lead with less than two minutes before half-time. Kuminga tallied 12 points in the second quarter as Golden State went into the break owning a 65-58 advantage.
Curry then took over in the third quarter, scoring 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Golden State outscored the Thunder by a 42-21 margin for the frame to take a commanding 107-79 lead into the fourth.
The Thunder made a late bid by putting together an 18-4 spurt that cut a 20-point deficit down to 114-108 with under five minutes to go. Kuminga answered with an alley-oop dunk on the next possession, however, before Curry's 3-pointer with 3:23 remaining helped put an end to the threat.
Kings halt Suns' seven-game win streak with overtime victory
DeMar DeRozan poured in a season-high 34 points, including eight in overtime, as the Sacramento Kings put an end to the ailing Phoenix Suns' seven-game winning streak by rallying for a 127-118 victory.
De'Aaron Fox also had eight of his 21 points in extra time to help Sacramento to its sixth win in eight games following an 0-2 start. Fox added 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Domantas Sabonis contributed 20 points and 12 rebounds and Keegan Murray compiled 14 points and 14 boards for the Kings.
In their first outing since Kevin Durant sustained a strained calf that's expected to sideline the perennial All-Star for around two weeks, the Suns played much of Sunday's game without another key starter after centre Jusuf Nurkic sat out the second half and overtime due to lingering soreness in his ankle.
Tyus Jones did step up in Durant's absence by scoring 22 points to complement the Suns' two other superstars, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. Beal finished with 28 points and eight rebounds and Booker recorded 23 points and 12 assists. Jones finished 6 of 10 from beyond the 3-point line.
Phoenix looked on the way to another win after taking a 92-81 lead on Booker's jumper with 8:58 left in regulation. The Suns held a seven-point advantage with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but Murray's 3-pointer ignited a 7-1 Sacramento run that brought the Kings within 105-104 with two minutes to go.
Murray tipped in DeRozan's missed shot with four seconds left in regulation to give the Kings a 111-110 edge, but was called for a foul on the ensuing in-bounds play to allow Booker to make the tying free throw and force overtime.
DeRozan then took control during the extra period, scoring the first eight points of a 10-1 spurt early in OT as Sacramento opened up a 121-114 lead with 2 1/2 minutes to go.
The Kings were up by 11 points early in the third quarter before Phoenix put forth a 9-0 run to pull within 66-64 with 7:47 remaining in the period.
Porter's late basket lifts streaking Nuggets over Mavericks
Michael Porter Jr. hit a tie-breaking jumper with 6.5 seconds remaining to give the Denver Nuggets a fifth straight win with Sunday's 122-120 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Nuggets scored the game's final four points after Dallas' Kyrie Irving snapped a 118-118 deadlock by banking in a shot with 1:39 to go.
Nikola Jokić tipped in his own missed shot in the final minute, however, to pull Denver back even. After Irving misfired on a 3-point try on the other end, Porter drove the lane and got a 14-footer to fall before Irving again couldn't connect on a 3-point attempt just prior to the final buzzer.
Irving had made his first six shots from beyond the arc prior to those two late misses, part of a 43-point performance in which the eight-time All-Star went 17 of 22 from the field.
Denver countered with a dominant 37-point, 18-point, 15-rebound effort out of Jokic, the two-time NBA MVP's fourth consecutive triple-double. Porter finished with 17 points and seven rebounds and the Nuggets also received 18 points and six assists from Jamal Murray.
Dallas was dealt a second straight defeat despite Irving's huge night and the presence of Luka Dončić, who played through a groin strain that had him questionable coming into the contest and recorded 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in 41 minutes.
The Kansas City Chiefs incredibly remained unbeaten by blocking a 35-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of the game to hold off the Denver Broncos 16-14 on Sunday.
Two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City went ahead on Harrison Butker's 20-yard field goal with 5:57 left, but Denver put together a drive that brought the Broncos down to the Chiefs' 17-yard line with one second remaining.
The Chiefs then blocked Will Lutz’s field-goal attempt to hang on and win their 15th straight game, including the play-offs, dating back to Week 17 of last season. The streak is the longest in the NFL since the Green Bay Packers won 19 straight spanning the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Kansas City (9-0) trailed 14-3 before Patrick Mahomes threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce with 1:44 to go in the first half to pull the Chiefs within four points.
Butker’s second and third field goals of the game were the only points either team scored in the second half.
Mahomes finished with 266 yards on 28-of-42 passing, while Kelce recorded eight catches for 64 yards.
Bo Nix completed 22 of 30 attempts for 215 yards with touchdown passes to Devaughn Vele and Courtland Sutton for Denver (5-5), which has lost two straight since winning five times in a six-game stretch.
Lions rally past Texans despite five Goff interceptions
Jake Bates kicked two long field goals, including a 52-yarder as time expired, as the rolling Detroit Lions overcame five Jared Goff interceptions in a stunning 26-23 comeback win over the Houston Texans.
Down 23-7 at half-time in this interconference clash of division leaders, Detroit scored 19 unanswered points over the final two quarters to extend its winning streak to seven games in improbable fashion. The Lions are the first team to win a game in which their quarterback was picked off five times since the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Arizona Cardinals in 2012.
Goff did deliver a pair of touchdown passes, a 20-yarder to Sam LaPorta in the second quarter and a 9-yard strike to Amon-Ra St. Brown with 11:38 left that brought Detroit within 23-20. The Lions tied it 6 1/2 minutes later when Bates knocked home a career-long 58-yard field goal.
Detroit, which is 8-1 for the first time since 1954, began its rally with the first of two second-half picks of C.J. Stroud, which set up David Montgomery's 3-yard touchdown run that trimmed Houston's lead to 23-13 after the Lions failed on the ensuing 2-point try.
Stroud did throw a 15-yard touchdown pass to John Metchie late in the second quarter that sent Houston (6-4) into the break up 23-7. The Texans also got three first-half field goals from Ka'imi Fairbairn and an 8-yard touchdown run from Joe Mixon in the first quarter, a score that came shortly after the Texans got their first of three first-half interceptions of Goff.
Fairbairn missed a 58-yard try with the game tied at 20-20 with under two minutes to go, however, and Goff's 11-yard completion to St. Brown on third down shortly after put the Lions in range for Bates' winning kick.
Metchie finished with 74 yards on five catches in the loss, the Texans' second straight and third in four games.
Wilson's late touchdown pass to Williams puts Steelers over Commanders
Mike Williams made an immediate impact in his Pittsburgh Steelers debut, as the wide receiver hauled in a go-ahead 32-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson with 2:22 remaining to lift his new team to a 28-27 win over the Washington Commanders.
Williams, acquired in a trade with the New York Jets on Tuesday, caught the last of three touchdown passes from Wilson that helped the Steelers rally from a 24-14 third-quarter deficit. The veteran quarterback also had first-half scoring strikes to Pat Freiermuth and George Pickens, who finished with 91 yards on five receptions.
Pittsburgh (7-2), now a half-game ahead of the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North, also got another big effort from its defence to extend its winning streak to four games - including all three Wilson has started since he returned from a calf injury that sidelined him six games.
The Steelers held Washington (7-3) to a season-low 242 total yards and came up with a crucial late stop when Damontae Kazae tackled tight end Zach Ertz just short of the first-down marker on a 4th-and-9 catch with 1:18 left to play.
Washington had a three-game win streak halted despite two first-half rushing touchdowns from Austin Ekeler and another from Jeremy McNichols that put the Commanders up 24-14 early in the third quarter. The Steelers countered with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped by Najee Harris' 1-yard touchdown run that cut the lead to three points midway through the period.
Jayden Daniels had a fifth straight game without an interception, but the Commanders' star rookie quarterback went without a touchdown pass while completing just half of his 34 attempts for 202 yards. Most of that total went to Terry McLaurin, who registered 113 yards on five catches.
Eagles dominate decimated Cowboys to take NFC East lead
The surging Philadelphia Eagles passed the Commanders for first place in the NFC East with a lopsided 34-6 victory over the injury-plagued Dallas Cowboys, a win sparked by Jalen Hurts' four total touchdowns.
Hurts rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two more in a game Philadelphia (7-2) controlled from start to finish en route to a fifth consecutive win. The star quarterback ended with 202 yards and an interception on 14-of-20 passing while accounting for 56 of the Eagles' 187 rushing yards.
Playing its first game since quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a hamstring injury expected to end his season, Dallas (3-6) managed a mere 146 total yards while committing five giveaways to lose its fourth straight overall and drop to 0-4 at home this season.
Cooper Rush started in Prescott's place but produced a measly 45 yards while completing 13 of 23 attempts before being replaced in the fourth quarter. Trey Lance took over for Rush and was 4 of 6 for 21 yards with an interception.
Hurts had a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, a score set up by Rush's fumble deep in Dallas territory, and a 14-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert late in the second to send the Eagles into half-time with a 14-6 lead.
Philadelphia then dominated the final two quarters, outscoring the Cowboys 20-0 in the second half. The Eagles' final two touchdowns - a 5-yard pass from Hurts to Johnny Wilson and an 8-yard touchdown run by the quarterback - both came in the third quarter.
Saints end seven-game skid in Rizzi's debut
After losing their final seven games under Dennis Allen, the New Orleans Saints are now 1-0 under interim head coach Darren Rizzi after coming through with a surprising 20-17 victory over the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons.
Derek Carr threw two second-quarter touchdown passes to Marques Valdes-Scantling and New Orleans (3-7) got a couple of key late stops on defence to prevail in its first game since firing Allen on Monday and promoting Rizzi from special teams coach to take over.
Valdes-Scantling, signed by the Saints on Oct. 22 after being released by the Buffalo Bills, had a 40-yard touchdown catch to give the Saints a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter and finished with 109 yards on three receptions. Carr went 16 of 25 for 269 yards with no interceptions and New Orleans also received 109 yards from scrimmage from Alvin Kamara.
Atlanta (6-4) lost for just the second time in its last seven games by failing to capitalise on several scoring chances. Kicker Younghoe Koo missed three field goals and quarterback Kirk Cousins was intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu with 1:59 left to end another drive in New Orleans territory.
The loss overshadowed an impressive day for Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, who rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. The 2023 first-round pick ripped off a 37-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that brought Atlanta within 20-17.
Drake London had 97 yards on eight catches for Atlanta, while Darnell Mooney added 96 yards on five receptions. Cousins finished with 306 yards on 23-of-38 passing.
Murray dazzles as Cardinals crush Jets to stay hot
Kyler Murray accounted for three touchdowns in a near-perfect performance that propelled the Arizona Cardinals to a fourth straight win, a 31-6 rout of the disappointing New York Jets.
Murray set a franchise record with 17 consecutive completions while going 22 of 24 for 266 yards with a touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. The playmaking quarterback added two more touchdowns on the ground to keep Arizona (6-4) ahead of second-place San Francisco in the NFC West race. The 49ers kept pace with a 23-20 win at Tampa Bay on Jake Moody's 44-yard field goal as time expired.
The Cardinals' defence did its part as well by limiting the Jets to 207 total yards and sacking Aaron Rodgers three times. Rodgers managed just 151 passing yards despite completing 22 of 35 throws.
Murray and James Conner each had 1-yard touchdown runs to stake Arizona to a 14-3 lead through one quarter. Murray's 9-yard touchdown pass to Harrison extended the margin to 21-6 in the second, and the Cardinals closed out the first half with Chad Ryland's 37-yard field goal for an 18-point advantage.
New York (3-7) also couldn't get anything going in the second half while being dealt another unwanted result in a season that began with high expectations. The Jets have now lost six of seven and are 1-4 since firing head coach Robert Saleh last month and replacing him with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
Murray closed out the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Conner led the Cardinals with 80 receiving yards on five catches, while Trey Benson recorded 62 rushing yards on 10 carries in the win.
After almost a month out of action, Jannik Sinner was delighted to shake off his rustiness with a straight-sets win over Alex de Minaur at the ATP Finals.
Playing on home soil in Turin, the Italian reeled off a 6-3 6-4 victory over De Minaur in 85 minutes, making a winning start to his bid to escape the Ilie Nastase Group, also containing Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev.
It was Sinner's first match since he won the Shanghai Masters on October 13, but he overcame some early nerves to showcase his impressive power from the baseline.
Asked about the impact of his long wait between matches, Sinner said: "Considering that, I'm very happy.
"I started off with some unforced errors. He was playing great in the beginning of the match, so I just tried to stay there mentally, knowing that hopefully at some point my tennis would arrive. It arrived quite early, and I started to return very well.
"My serve, for sure I have to improve if I want to win the next match. Against Taylor, today he played really well. Hopefully this can give me confidence for the next one."
Data Debrief: The man for the big stage
Sinner's victory over ninth-ranked De Minaur is his 13th against a top-10 player in ATP events this calendar year, having also done so in 2023.
He is just the fifth player aged 23 or under to reach that mark in back-to-back seasons since 1973, after legendary quartet Bjorn Borg (1977-79), Ivan Lendl (1980-82), Pete Sampras (1993-94) and Rafael Nadal (2008-09)
Gregor Townsend was immensely proud of his Scotland side after they pushed world champions South Africa close in a thrilling Test.
Scotland ultimately went down 15-32 on Sunday, though the 17-point margin of victory flattered South Africa at Murrayfield.
The Springboks were fortunate that Scotland failed to capitalise on a period of intense pressure during the second half, in which the hosts created plenty of opportunities.
To make Scotland's task harder, they had to play 20 minutes of the second half with 14 players after Scott Cummings was given a yellow card that was upgraded to a 20-minute red.
Makazole Mapimpi scored two first-half tries for South Africa, with Thomas du Toit and Jasper Wiese also going over. Scotland did not score a try, with Finn Russell kicking all of their points.
"There is not that much disappointment, to be honest," Scotland coach Townsend reflected.
"I'm proud. It was one of our best performances in the last two or three years, built on effort and physicality.
"We put ourselves in positions to score points. It was frustrating not to get that try before half-time, but we put in a huge effort.
"We needed to be ahead of the scoreboard in the final ten minutes, and that’s on us to make sure we are able to nail the skill and execute.
"I thought our defence was outstanding today in holding out South Africa a few times. We were getting penalties and pressure – I thought there could have potentially been another yellow card. But there are ways we have to be better, like executing that final pass under pressure."
Elsewhere, Wales suffered a 10th straight Test loss, equalling their worst ever run, as they went down 19-24 to Fiji in Cardiff.
Caleb Muntz scored 19 points for Fiji, who overcame a 20-minute red card for Semi Radradra, and the pressure is mounting on Wales coach Warren Gatland ahead of meetings with Australia and South Africa.
Taylor Fritz opened his ATP Finals campaign with a straight-sets victory over Daniil Medvedev, then acknowledged his fine serving display was the difference.
Fritz recorded a 6-4 6-3 victory over the fourth seed to make a flying start to his second appearance at the season-ending event in Turin.
With world number one Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur – who face off later on Sunday – also lurking in the Ilie Nastase Group, Fritz knew the importance of using his serve as a weapon.
He won 85% (33/39) of his first-serve points to Medvedev's 79% (30/38), also firing off nine aces and not committing a single double fault, compared to eight of each for the Russian.
"The serve was a big part of it for sure," Fritz said after the match. "He's such a good returner.
"You can make a lot of first serves, but if they are not very high quality, he just puts so many returns in the court.
"It was huge for me, I hit a lot of lines, a lot of spots to start out games. I got out of a lot of service games with no pressure.
"Some of the ones we got tight in, I was either able to grind through the long rallies or get myself some free points."
Data Debrief: Fifty up for Fritz
Fritz's win made him just the fourth player to register 50 victories in ATP events this calendar year, putting him in an exclusive club.
Only Alexander Zverev (66), Sinner (65) and Carlos Alcaraz (52) have managed more such wins in 2024.
Ireland coach Andy Farrell intends to assess the "energy levels" of his players before picking a team to play Argentina as he seeks to ensure his side can have no excuses in a busy November.
New Zealand won 23-13 in Dublin on Friday, Ireland's first home defeat in more than three years, and Farrell's side will play three more matches before the end of the month.
Next up are Argentina next Friday, after which Ireland face Fiji and Australia.
There may be the temptation to make sweeping changes given the result against the All Blacks and a performance that Ireland captain Caelan Doris acknowledged was "not good enough".
But Farrell is not rushing into any snap decisions, determined to pick a team that will allow Ireland to compete throughout the coming weeks.
"It's a tough month, four back-to-back games on the trot, so we will see what the energy levels are like," Farrell said.
"A lot of guys put a good shift in considering their training time, never mind game time, so we'll see how bodies are when we're back in and see what the feeling is like."
Regardless, Farrell will not allow the schedule to be used as mitigation this month, adding: "We've always prided ourselves on getting up to speed and being as good as we possibly can be first game up, because that is the cards we are dealt with.
"It doesn't matter if you have had three training sessions and 12 minutes of games or seven consecutive games and 50 training sessions. You try to be your best, and we weren't [against New Zealand]."
Paul Waring edged out some of the DP World Tour's biggest names to claim the Abu Dhabi Championship title on Sunday.
Waring, who shot a course-record 61 in the second round, closed out with a six-under-par 66 at Yas Links to beat Tyrell Hatton by two shots, finishing on 24 under.
Rory McIlroy finished third after going round in 64. He was tied on 21 under par for the weekend along with Matt Wallace and Thorbjorn Olsen.
Waring's win marks just his second DP World Tour success, and his first title in six years.
"To keep control of myself in the way I did, I'm really proud of myself. I'm a bit taken aback right now," said Waring.
"I felt that my golf game has been in such a good place over the past year, I just haven't put it all together. What a week for it all to click together."
McIlroy's efforts on the final day, meanwhile, saw him finish a shot ahead of Thriston Lawrence, who is the Northern Irishman's closest challenger in the Race to Dubai rankings.
"I set myself a target with six holes to go and I achieved that target," said McIlroy.
"I was glad to make the four at the last and give myself a little bit more of a cushion going into Dubai."
Tommy Fleetwood rounded out with 67, meaning he finished tied for fourth on 20 under, two shots ahead of Shane Lowry, who dropped three shots across the final six holes.
The DP World Tour season wraps up in Dubai next week, with McIlroy looking well set to finish top of the standings.
Victor Wembanyama made six three-pointers for the Utah Jazz, but could not drag the San Antonio Spurs over the line.
Wembanyama finished with a game-leading 24 points on Saturday, and marked the third NBA game of his career in which he has had at least five three-pointers and five blocks, which moved him level with Kristaps Porzingis for the second most in the competition's history, behind Raef LaFrentz (four).
Yet the Frenchman's career-best haul of threes could not help the Spurs avoid a 111-110 defeat.
It is now three defeats in the space of four games for San Antonio, and Wembanyama knows there is much more to come.
"My rhythm's there for sure," Wembanyama said.
"But there's so much more to be gained. It's just a matter of how well we can combine everything together. Once we combine it all, it's great.
"But it's about how often we can do it, and this is how we can keep piling up wins."
Defending champion Andrew Arft is ready to tee off in pursuit of a consecutive Jamaica Open title as he begins his campaign on Sunday at the Tryall Golf Club. If successful, Arft would become the first player since Russ Cochran in 2011 and 2012 to claim back-to-back victories at the prestigious event.
After playing in the Pro-Am tournament on Saturday, Arft shared his comfort with the Tryall course, noting that the layout feels familiar. “I feel really well. I was out on the course today, just remembering the course and seeing it,” he said. “It kind of feels comfortable on the tee shots, and I had a great Pro-Am group from Palladium. They kept it light and fun, which was great.”
Despite a few changes in course conditions compared to last year, Arft expects the challenge to remain formidable. “It’s going to be windy. The course is wet compared to last year, which was firmer,” he observed. “It’s a give and take thing. The course might play a bit easier since the balls won’t bounce everywhere, but we won’t get as much roll on the fairways, so there’ll be longer shots in. Less balls will bounce into tricky spots, but it will still play just as hard as last year, just in a different way.”
Arft also highlighted that it’s the welcoming atmosphere of Jamaica that motivated him to return. “It’s more of the people than anything. The golf course is top notch and I love it, but right when I step foot in the airport – different type of niceness around here,” Arft remarked. “Everyone is really cordial and laidback, and I definitely feed off the people’s energy. When I have good people around me, I feel good as well.”
As Arft prepares to defend his title, he’ll be leaning on his familiarity with Tryall’s unique challenges and the supportive environment that Jamaica offers, aiming to add his name to the short list of champions who have won the Jamaica Open in consecutive years.
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls concluded their campaign at the 2024 Fast5 Netball World Series in New Zealand with a sixth-place finish. Despite a valiant effort from an inexperienced squad, the Sunshine Girls ended the tournament winless after tough matches on Sunday, the second day of competition, where they faced a formidable lineup of opponents.
In their opening Sunday game, Jamaica faced defending champions Australia and struggled to keep pace, eventually falling 39-56 to the three-time title holders. Later, they encountered Uganda, who managed a decisive 43-26 victory over the Sunshine Girls. Jamaica's final match of the day was a close showdown against England, where they were edged out 38-36, securing a sixth-place finish for Jamaica.
The fifth/sixth-place playoff against England was particularly intense, with both teams evenly matched in a low-scoring game. Heading into the fourth-quarter Power Play tied, England's Paige Reed scored a critical four-pointer, followed by more points from Jones. Jamaica kept pushing, with Amanda Pinkney attempting three six-pointers in the closing moments, any of which could have swung the game Jamaica’s way. However, the shots didn't connect, and England held on for a narrow win, securing fifth place with Kelly named Player of the Match.
Meanwhile, Australia capped off their campaign with a thrilling 34-30 victory over hosts New Zealand, rallying from 15 points down to claim their third consecutive Fast5 title.
South Africa finished third after defeating Uganda 46-42.
Team Palladium emerged victorious in the Pro-Am tournament ahead of the 57th Jamaica Open Golf Championship at Tryall Golf Club on Saturday, outplaying 19 other teams to claim the top spot. Each team in the competition comprised three amateur golfers paired with one professional, making for an exciting lead-up to the official championship.
Led by pro golfer Scott Milum, Team Palladium, which included amateurs Carlyle Hudson, Diane Hudson, and George Hugh, scored an impressive 51.25 points, finishing exactly two points ahead of the runners-up.
Reflecting on the win and his first experience in Jamaica, Milum shared his enthusiasm for the course and the hospitality at Tryall. “It is an awesome place to play. It’s my first time actually in Jamaica as well, so playing in the Pro-Am, playing the tournament this week I am looking forward to it. The area is beautiful, and the resort here takes really good care of us, getting us to and from the golf course. Everyone we met so far has been phenomenal,” he said.
The second-place team, led by pro golfer Joshua Seales, finished with a score of 53.25 points. Not far behind, the team led by pro Patrick Coles claimed third place with 53.375 points.
Jamaica Fibre Glass Products took the corporate title with a score of 55.25 points, thanks to the combined efforts of team members Metry Seaga, Mike Glieckman, Andre Foote, and Marcus Mohn.
In the “Closest to the Pin” contest, three golfers earned recognition: Benjamin Martin on hole two, Wayne Chai Chong on hole four, and Chris McLean on hole 10.
With the Pro-Am tournament now complete, attention turns to the main event. The three-day 57th Jamaica Open will tee off on Sunday, November 10, at 8:00 a.m., with defending champion Andrew Arft set to begin his title defense at 10:40 a.m.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland says their unbeaten start is not a "fluke", as they extended their record to 11-0 at the start of the NBA season.
It was the first time the Cavaliers had failed to score 110 points this season, but they rallied for a 105-100 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to start a season 11-0.
Garland scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, which Cleveland started by trailing, but they dug deep to ensure their perfect record stayed intact.
The Cavaliers are now just two victories away from matching the longest streak in franchise history, having won 13 in a row three times, most recently in 2017.
And Garland believes they have proven that they are among the contenders in the NBA this season.
"I don't think this is just any old fluke," he said after the game. "We played some really good teams out of these 11 games, and we had some great challenges.
"I think we have a really good chance at being one of those contenders for sure."
With the team trailing 82-68 late in the third quarter, coach Kenny Atkinson made the bold decision, choosing to bench Jarrett Allen for the final quarter and moving Evan Mobley to centre.
In the end, it worked. Mobley finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, with Atkinson praising his performance.
"He [Mobley] was phenomenal," Atkinson said. "Those three or four stops we needed at the end of the game, he got caught on a switch and Cam [Thomas] tried to shoot it over him.
"He's just too long. He had the big block on the last play, and he rebounded the heck out of the ball."
The Golden State Warriors hold the league record for winning their first 24 games in 2015-16, and Atkinson admitted that the prospect of losing their winning streak did play on his mind.
"You're thinking about it," he added.
"Normally, this is 11 games in. You're not thinking about a streak, but then you're like, man, I don't want it to end this way.
"We're competing. We're trying to win every game, but it's kind of weirdly in the back of your mind when you're out there competing. Like man, we got to keep this thing going."
The Cavaliers face the Chicago Bulls in their next match on Monday.
Evan Mobley had 23 points and 16 rebounds, and Donovan Mitchell scored 22 as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 105-100 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to start a season 11-0.
Darius Garland scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for Cleveland, which trailed 82-68 with 35 seconds left in the third. Garland put the Cavaliers ahead for good at 97-96 with two free throws.
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors hold the league record after winning their first 24 games. They lost to the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
Cam Johnson scored 23 points and Dennis Schröder and Cam Thomas had 22 apiece for the Nets. Brooklyn trailed by 15 in the second quarter but held Cleveland to a season-low 13 points in the third with Johnson and Thomas combining for 19.
The Cavaliers failed to score 110 points for the first time, ending their NBA-record streak of doing so in 10 consecutive wins to open a season. Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain and the 1960-61 Philadelphia Warriors held the mark with nine.
New Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson admitted “there was a little extra” at stake for him facing Brooklyn for the first time since being fired by the Nets in 2020. Mobley took the message to heart, making 10 of 11 field goal attempts.
After Johnson buried a 3-pointer with 4:23 left to extend Brooklyn’s lead to 96-89, the Cavaliers answered with 10 straight points. Garland scored four in a row, then fed Mobley for a dunk to complete the game-changing run.
The Cavs are two victories from matching the longest streak in franchise history. Cleveland has won 13 in a row three times, all with franchise icon LeBron James on the roster, last doing so from Nov. 11 to Dec. 6, 2017.
Bulls rally past Hawks
After trailing for most of the game, the Chicago Bulls stormed back in the second half to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 125-113, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Atlanta outscored Chicago 37-24 in the first quarter and led by as many as 18, but the Bulls started the fourth with a 14-3 run, took their first lead of the game, 104-101, with 7:35 left in regulation and never looked back.
Nikola Vucevic scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds. Zack LaVine and Coby White also scored 18 points, Josh Giddey added 13 and Patrick Williams tallied 10.
Trae Young had his third double-double in as many games with 14 points and 16 assists, but the effort was wasted for a second game in a row.
The Bulls trailed until midway through the fourth quarter when Jalen Smith's dunk gave Chicago its first lead, 102-101, with 8:04 left in regulation. Chicago did not trail for the remainder of the game.
Surging Clippers fend off Raptors
James Harden had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Norman Powell added 24 points and the Los Angeles Clippers barely hung on to beat the Toronto Raptors 105-103 for their fourth straight victory.
Ivica Zubac had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who have won three straight at Intuit Dome after starting 0-4 in their lavish new home.
Ochai Agbaji and Immanuel Quickley scored 21 points apiece for the Raptors, who have lost three straight and seven of eight.
After Quickley hit a tying 3-pointer with 39 seconds left, Powell and Harden combined to miss three of six free throws to leave the door open for Toronto. But Quickley and RJ Barrett both missed tough short shots under defensive pressure before Jakob Poeltl missed a putback attempt with 4.1 seconds left.
NBA stars Kevin Durant, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson are dealing with injuries and will be sidelined for a while.
Phoenix Suns forward Durant will miss at least two weeks with a strained left calf suffered in Friday night’s 114-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The 17-year veteran is averaging 27.6 points per game this season on 55.3 percent shooting from the floor and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. His play is a big reason why the Suns have won seven straight and are off to an 8-1 start.
The Memphis Grizzlies will be without two-time All-Star guard Morant for at least a week due to an injured right hip.
He was seen on crutches Friday during Memphis' win over the Washington Wizards. He originally was announced as having hurt his right hamstring during Wednesday night's win over the Lakers.
The Grizzlies said further testing showed Morant, who was bumped in the air by a Lakers player while attempting to catch a lob in the third quarter, suffered an extreme right hip flexion. He suffered a partial posterior hip subluxation without a dislocation and multiple Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains.
The team says updates will be provided “as appropriate.”
Williamson is dealing with a left hamstring strain that will sideline him indefinitely, the New Orleans Pelicans announced Saturday.
The diagnosis comes one day after Williamson was scratched from the lineup for New Orleans' 115-88 loss in Orlando.
That was Williamson's fourth missed game in 10 this season.
Injuries are nothing new for Williamson, who has missed 210 out of a possible 400 regular-season games since the Pelicans selected him first overall out of Duke in the 2019 draft.
He has averaged 22.7 points, eight rebounds and 5.3 assists this season.
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