If Jon Rahm needed any reassurance that his shock move to LIV Golf would not harm his chances of winning more majors, he did not need to look hard for evidence.
After starting with a four-putt double bogey in last year’s Masters, Rahm ended up battling with Brooks Koepka in the final round and ultimately finishing four shots clear of Koepka and Phil Mickelson.
With Patrick Reed another shot behind in a tie for fourth it was a strong showing for the LIV contingent, who enjoyed even more bragging rights a month later when Koepka claimed his fifth major title in the US PGA.
So while it is undeniable that Rahm’s preparations for his Masters title defence are a world away from those of 12 months ago – three PGA Tour wins in eight starts compared to contesting just five 54-hole LIV events – there is little chance of the Spaniard being written off for being unprepared.
“I came in here last year thinking the same thing about all of the LIV players, the ones that potentially could win, and they proved me wrong,” two-time US Open champion and ESPN analyst Curtis Strange admitted.
“Two or three of them played really well. So I don’t think that’s a point any more.
“I expect Rahm to be ready to go. I think, because of what Rahm’s been through a little bit the last year, going over there, he might feel that he has a little bit more to prove.
“But he’s incredibly talented, great champion at the Masters. There’s no reason why he couldn’t be champion there again this year.”
The stars certainly seemed to align for Rahm last year, his victory coming on the 40th anniversary of his idol Seve Ballesteros claiming a second win at Augusta National and on what would have been his fellow Spaniard’s 66th birthday.
It even concluded with the kind of par on the 18th of which Ballesteros would have been proud, although Rahm still insists his tee shot into the trees, which meant his ball failed to even reach the fairway, was not as terrible as it looked.
“Out of all the great things that week, a lot of people remember the four-putt and the tee shot on 18, which wasn’t as bad as people think,” Rahm said with a smile.
“What stood out to me is I had this image in my mind of how great I played all week, which I did, and then I watch the actual summary and I couldn’t help to think, man, I missed a lot more shots than I thought I did.
“I guess it is a good lesson to have in mind, right? Not only that I could play better in theory but the fact that there’s a mental lesson there, that you’re going to miss shots and you just have to figure out how to minimise the damage.
“Going back to Sunday, it’s always very difficult to put into words. Very few times do I remember in any sporting event to have so many things line up to make something so memorable for a player.
“With it being Easter, with it being Seve’s birthday, with my caddie Adam and me registering as the 49th player and being 4/9, the actual date of April 9th, being the fourth Spaniard to win it, 10th Spanish major.
“Just a lot of little things that made it so much more special than what already winning the green jacket and being the Masters champion is.”
Speaking of special memories, Rahm’s came in the early hours of the morning following his victory, when he took advantage of his new status to access parts of the clubhouse which are usually off limits.
“I was there with my dad and [wife] Kelley in the clubhouse,” he explained.
“It’s one in the morning and I said if there’s a time to maybe get away with something it’s right now, so I asked, can we go to the champions locker room because I don’t know if they’re ever going to be able to go up there again. They said yes.
“It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, to see people’s names on the lockers, to actually see the locker room.
“My dad and I walked out to the balcony looking down Magnolia Lane, what you could see of it in the pitch darkness. Somebody took a picture of my dad and I talking, me with the jacket on, and it’s one of the better pictures we have.
“I think it’s my dad’s or my mom’s WhatsApp picture, which is really cool to see, and then having Kelley up there for that as well, is special.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to recreate that again with any of them, but I’m really glad that they let us do that and they got to see the history of it.”
Lando Norris has dismissed suggestions from dominant Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez that they could struggle for pace in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Verstappen took pole position to continue his run of locking out the first spot on the grid so far this season, while Perez was just 0.066 seconds slower to secure his place on the front row.
Norris emerged from a pack of cars all running very similar times to take the place as best of the rest for McLaren on another Saturday where it was Red Bull who shone.
Despite a 27th qualifying one-two for the Red Bull team, both drivers were quick to point out they are not as happy with their longer race pace.
Having run with their race set-up in the final practice session ahead of qualifying, Verstappen complained: “So far, I haven’t been happy with my long runs. The pace wasn’t what I would have liked, so there’s a bit of a question mark going into tomorrow.
“Our race pace is still not too bad, but it’s not how I have been feeling in some of the races this year, last year, as comfortable, let’s say it like that.”
Perez, meanwhile, echoed the views of his team-mate: “Let’s see what we are able to do tomorrow,” he said.
“I don’t think we are looking great at the moment in our long run pace, but we’ve done some changes and hopefully that will translate into our race pace.”
However, Norris did not seem to buy the suggestions that Red Bull may have any sort of Sunday struggles.
“Obviously last year I was side by side with Max into turn one. So hopefully trying to redo that,” he said of his plans for the race.
“But it’s tricky. They’re quick. They complained about their race pace, but I don’t think they’ve had a bad race in the last four or five years, so I think they’re going to be good tomorrow.
“Of course we’ve got a lot of pressure from behind so we have to keep an eye on the mirrors. But at the same time I want to go forward and I think we have pace to stay where we are, so that’s my goal.
“That will be our target for tomorrow. But I think realistically, we’re still too far away to challenge them. They’re too quick for us. Yes, we are quicker in qualifying, but in the race, normally, they always pull away a bit more.
“So, I think we’ll be realistic. I’m always realistic when I say it. So I think our competition is with the guys behind and at the same time, I’ll do my best to push forward.”
Carlos Sainz won in Australia last time out and will start Sunday’s race fourth for Ferrari, with the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso fifth.
Oscar Piastri was sixth-fastest in the second McLaren, while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are down in seventh and ninth respectively – with Mercedes later fined 5,000 euros for an unsafe pit-lane release of Russell.
Charles Leclerc is sandwiched between the pair, with home favourite Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top 10.
Tsunoda scraped into the final session, eliminating RB team-mate Daniel Ricciardo at the end of Q2 to the roar of the Suzuka crowd.
Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon also failed to make it through and will start 12-15th, respectively.
Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu were knocked out in Q1.
Head coach Doc Rivers slammed the Milwaukee Bucks after their slump continued against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, saying losing to "bad teams" is inexcusable.
The Raptors had lost 15 straight games ahead of their trip to Fiserv Forum, but Gary Trent Jr.'s 31 points helped condemn the Bucks to a surprise 117-111 defeat, their fifth loss in six games.
Milwaukee were without Giannis Antetokounmpo as the two-time NBA MVP battles a hamstring injury, though Damian Lillard returned after three games out to score 36 points.
However, it wasn't enough for the Bucks, who pulled within two points with 54.5 seconds left but saw Khris Middleton miss a potential go-ahead 3-pointer before four free throws saw Toronto home.
Still occupying second place in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee are now just one game clear of the Cleveland Cavaliers and two ahead of the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks.
Each of their last three defeats have come against teams who are .351 or lower in the Washington Wizards (15-63), Memphis Grizzlies (27-50) and Toronto (24-53), leaving Rivers enraged.
"The last three were against pretty bad teams, and to me that's inexcusable for all of us," Rivers said.
"This is on me. I've got to figure out what we've got to do to play at a higher pace. The defense has to be better. We've got to work ourselves through this."
Lillard echoed those sentiments, adding: "These are situations where we've just got to have discipline and get the job done, and we haven't.
"But if you ask anybody in the league, they'll tell you these are some of the hardest times of the season.
"We've got to take accountability. If it was one of these games, it's alright, the next two should be handled. To have three of them is disappointing. We've just got to do better."
For the Raptors, Friday's win was their first since March 3 against the Charlotte Hornets, with stars RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley having both been absent in recent weeks.
Barrett had 26 points and Quickley had 25 on Friday, leaving coach Darko Rajakovic to sing their praises, saying: "It's great when we have our guys coming back and playing.
"I thought during the whole stretch the team stayed together. It's good to get a win."
Lewis Hamilton may have only managed to qualify seventh for the Japanese Grand Prix but he insists his Mercedes has not felt better in three years.
The seven-time world champion will start from the fourth row at Suzuka, with team-mate George Russell in ninth.
While from the outside that would suggest Mercedes once again struggled with an underperforming car – like much of the past two years – Hamilton was in good spirits following Saturday’s qualifying.
Having lamented the gap to pole-sitter Max Verstappen over the team radio during the session, he had a more positive outlook in the aftermath.
“The car has been much nicer to drive this weekend… this is the nicest it has felt in three years,” he said.
“I think we did a really good job over the last week, just the analysis we’ve done at the factory to get the car into a sweet spot.
“This weekend it’s much more in the sweet spot and so I hope that continues in the following races. Then we’ve just got to add performance.
“I think we’ve got the car into a much nicer working window and so it’s been really enjoyable driving, it’s just the guys are just a little bit faster.”
Hamilton has amassed just eight points from the opening three races of the 2024 campaign and retired last time out in Australia.
The early signs are Mercedes face another year of chasing the fastest cars rather than challenging for victories – but the Briont, who will race for Ferrari from next year – feels things are starting to look up.
Asked if he believes Mercedes are now heading in the right direction, Hamilton replied: “I personally believe so.
“We were a second or just over a second off last year to the Red Bull and seven tenths is now better,” he added.
“I think what it’s giving us is I know exactly where the car is not strong enough, I can feel it in the car, and I know now to be tell them to ‘push in this particular area’. But I’m hoping the race will be stronger tomorrow.”
Mercedes were hit with a Euros5,000 (£4,290) fine for an unsafe pit lane release of Russell at the start of qualifying.
Russell will start the race from his lowest grid slot this season but he believes it will be a close battle with the cars in and around him.
“I think it’s just so tight out there between ourselves McLaren, Ferrari and Aston Martin,” he said.
“If you nail your lap you are up at the front of that pack, and if you don’t you will be at the back of that pack, we knew that this circuit was going to be a slight challenge for us. We know our limitation in the high-speed corners.”
This afternoon’s National Hunt meeting at Uttoxeter will go ahead as scheduled after the track passed a morning inspection, but racing at the Curragh has been abandoned.
Hopes of any turf racing taking place in Britain on Saturday hinged a second precautionary check at Uttoxeter at 7.30am. An initial inspection was staged at 2pm on Friday and while there was standing water in some areas, the track was described as raceable.
Officials announced a further precautionary inspection for raceday morning and were able to give the fixture the go-ahead.
The news was not so good in Ireland, with a Curragh card due to feature the Group Three Tote.ie Alleged Stakes abandoned due to a waterlogged track.
Brendan Sheridan, the IHRB clerk of the course at the Curragh, said: “Following a further four millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours, unfortunately we have to cancel the fixture scheduled at the Curragh today as parts of the track are just not fit for racing.”
The disruption could continue on Sunday, with meetings at Carlisle and Downpatrick subject to morning inspections at 7am and 7.30am respectively.
Tuesday’s Flat meeting at Navan has already been cancelled, while Hexham’s jumps card on the same day also looks in serious doubt, with officials calling an inspection for 7.30am on Sunday.
Looking even further ahead, officials at Leicester have announced an inspection for 8am on Tuesday ahead of the track’s scheduled fixture on Friday, with the course currently waterlogged and unraceable.
Max Verstappen stormed to pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix as his dominance in qualifying continued.
The world champion has locked out the first spot on the grid this season and there was no answer to his pace at Suzuka.
His time of one minute 28.197 beat Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez into second place by just 0.066 seconds, while McLaren’s Lando Norris was the best of the rest.
Verstappen’s run of pole positions now stretches back to the last race of last season and he is now toasting a third pole in Japan.
The Dutchman never looked like being beaten and was quickest across all three qualifying sessions – as well as Saturday morning’s final practice.
He is aiming to get back on track after retiring in Melbourne and the rest of the field will be concerned that he could drive off into the distance from the start.
“It was quite close at the end,” Verstappen said of his latest pole lap.
“Overall this track is sensitive with the tyres and when you want to go to the limit it doesn’t always work out but what is important is being on pole. Overall, a very good day, a good starting position tomorrow and of course tomorrow is what counts.
“It is great as a team to be P1 and P2, hopefully we can keep that going tomorrow.”
Carlos Sainz won in Australia last time out and will start Sunday’s race fourth for Ferrari, with the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso fifth.
Oscar Piastri was sixth-fastest in the second McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell down in seventh and ninth, respectively.
Charles Leclerc is sandwiched between the pair, with home favourite Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top 10.
Tsunoda scraped into the final session, eliminating RB team-mate Daniel Ricciardo at the end of Q2 to the roar of the Suzuka crowd.
Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon also failed to make it through and will start 12-15th, respectively.
Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu were knocked out in Q1.
Seiya Suzuki drove in three runs and the Chicago Cubs scored five times in the second inning before holding on for a 9-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Friday's opener of a three-game series.
Michael Busch, acquired from the Dodgers in the offseason, had a solo homer against his former team to help Chicago to its fifth consecutive win. Dansby Swanson also homered for the Cubs and Ian Happ contributed a two-run triple.
The Dodgers had a four-game winning streak snapped despite Shohei Ohtani connecting for his second homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth inning. Teoscar Hernandez went 3 for 4 with four RBIs for Los Angeles.
After Hernandez's two-run single in the first inning gave the Dodgers an early lead, the Cubs answered and then some against Los Angeles starter Bobby Miller in the second.
Swanson got Chicago on the board with a one-out solo homer and Miller walked Busch before yielding back-to-back singles to Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal, the last of which plated Busch. Happ later walked to load the bases and Hoerner scored on Miller's wild pitch for a 3-2 Cubs lead.
Suzuki then doubled to right to knock in two more runs and extend the margin and chase Miller, who was tagged for five runs in just 1 2/3 innings.
Busch homered in the third to put Chicago up 6-2, but Ohtani followed Mookie Betts' single in the fifth with a blast into the right-field seats off Cubs' starter Kyle Hendricks to close the gap. Hendricks then walked Freddie Freeman before giving up a double to Will Smith that cut Los Angeles' deficit to 6-5.
Hendricks was charged with five runs on eight hits over four-plus innings.
Happ brought in Hoerner and Yan Gomes with a triple in the sixth to give Chicago some breathing room, then scored on Suzuki's sacrifice fly for a 9-5 lead.
Hernandez plated Freeman and Smith with a single in the seventh to get the Dodgers closer, but relievers Julian Merryweather and Adbert Alzolay shut Los Angeles out over the final two innings to protect the lead.
Rangers roll past Astros in ALCS rematch
Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien each belted three-run homers as the Texas Rangers cruised to a 10-2 rout over the Houston Astros in the American League West rivals' first meeting since last season's League Championship Series.
Garcia also had an RBI single to back 7 2/3 outstanding innings from Cory Bradford as the Rangers took the opener of this four-game Lone Star series.
Bradford yielded just one run and two hits with no walks to help Texas end a run of eight consecutive Houston wins at the Rangers' Globe Life Park, including three during the 2023 ALCS that Texas won in seven games before later capturing the franchise's first World Series title.
The Rangers went up big early in the rematch, scoring five two-out runs off Houston starter Hunter Brown in the second inning.
Singles by Josh Smith and Semien put two runners on before Corey Seager drove in Texas' first run with a double. Semien then scored on Wyatt Langford's infield single before Garcia launched a three-run homer for a 5-0 advantage.
Smith's RBI double in the fourth and Garcia's run-scoring single in the fifth increased the margin further, and Semien made it a 10-0 lead when he homered off Brandon Bielak with two aboard in the sixth.
Bradford was removed after giving up a two-out single to Jeremy Pena in the eighth. Jake Meyers then greeted reliever Yerry Rodriguez with a two-run homer to end Texas' shutout bid.
Brown lasted just three innings and was tagged for five runs and eight hits while walking four.
Clement's homer helps Blue Jays spoil Yankees' home opener
Ernie Clement broke a scoreless tie with a pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning, and five Toronto Blue Jays pitchers combined on a six-hitter to spoil the New York Yankees' home opener with a 3-0 victory.
Clement sent a pitch from Yankees reliever Caleb Ferguson into the left-field seats to help Toronto take the opener of this three-game series.
The Blue Jays tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth before ex-Yankee Chad Green worked around a pair of hits in the bottom of the inning to finish off the shutout and earn his first save of the season.
New York was dealt just its second loss in eight games this season despite an outstanding start from former Blue Jay Marcus Stroman, who yielded just three hits and struck out six in six scoreless innings.
Yusei Kikuchi was just as good for Toronto, as the left-hander permitted just four hits and struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings.
Alejandro Kirk had three hits for the Blue Jays, including a single in the ninth that was followed by a base hit from Daulton Varsho. Isiah Kiner-Falefa then drew a walk to load the bases before New York reliever Nick Burdi threw a wild pitch that allowed pinch-runner Brian Serven to score for a 2-0 lead.
Burdi uncorked another wild pitch later in the inning that enabled Varsho to score Toronto's final run.
Gary Trent Jr.'s 31 points and Immanuel Quickley's near triple-double sparked Toronto to a 117-111 win over Milwaukee on Friday, which ended the Raptors' 15-game losing streak and extended the Bucks' late-season slump.
Quickley compiled 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, while Trent went 7 of 15 from 3-point range to help the Raptors hand Milwaukee a fifth loss in six games. RJ Barrett contributed 26 points to Toronto's first win since March 3.
The Bucks' woes continued despite Damian Lillard returning from a three-game absence to record 36 points. Milwaukee was without its other superstar, however, as Giannis Antetokounmpo was held out with a sore hamstring.
Toronto seemed on the way towards another defeat after trailing 40-30 five minutes into the second quarter, but Trent led a 16-3 run later in the period that gave the Raptors a 56-51 advantage with a minute to go before half-time.
The Raptors eventually pushed the margin to 14 points when a Trent 3-pointer created a 77-63 lead midway through the third quarter, but the Bucks closed the gap later in the period. Lillard capped a 10-2 spurt with a 3-pointer that cut Milwaukee's deficit to 87-84 in the final minute of the third.
Milwaukee had a chance to pull ahead in the late stages, but Khris Middleton missed a potential go-ahead 3-point attempt with the Raptors up 113-111 with 20.4 seconds left. Quickley then made a pair of free throws and the Bucks were held scoreless the rest of the way.
Middleton finished with 21 points and Bobby Portis tallied 19 points with 10 rebounds off the bench for the Bucks.
Washington stars as Mavericks end Warriors' winning streak
P.J. Washington capped a 32-point night with a tie-breaking layup with 4.5 seconds left that lifted the Dallas Mavericks to a 108-106 victory over Golden State which halted the Warriors' season-high six-game winning streak.
After Golden State erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit on Stephen Curry's jumper with 13 seconds remaining that tied the game at 106-106, Dallas' Tim Hardaway Jr. found a cutting Washington for an inside basket that put the Mavericks back in front.
Klay Thompson then missed a 3-point shot just before the final buzzer as Dallas held on for its 13th win in its last 15 games.
Washington finished 12 of 18 from the field while stepping up with the Mavericks holding out star guard Luka Dončić in the second of a back-to-back, and Dallas also received a 26-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist effort out of Kyrie Irving.
Curry ended with 28 points, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter as the Warriors battled back from being down 98-88 with under six minutes left.
Golden State also rallied from a slow start, as Dallas built a 29–13 lead less than eight minutes into the game. The Warriors closed out the first quarter on a 19-2 run, however, to take a 32-31 edge into the second.
The game remained tight until the Mavericks scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to open up an 84-76 lead with under 11 minutes left to play.
Fast start propels Suns past Timberwolves
The Phoenix Suns used a quick start and a strong game from Grayson Allen to continue their late-season surge with a 97-87 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Allen gave Phoenix a lift on a night in which All-Star Devin Booker was held to 13 points on 3-of-12 shooting, as the former Duke star recorded 23 points along with eight rebounds.
Kevin Durant added 22 points in the Suns' third consecutive win, while Jusuf Nurkic compiled 11 points, 15 rebounds and six assists.
Booker did have 13 assists and scored the first five points of a 15-0 Phoenix run to open the game. The Suns never trailed at any point, as they shot 55 per cent in the first quarter to build a 32-20 lead and carried a 57-41 advantage into half-time.
Minnesota, on the other hand, struggled to score throughout the evening and fell behind by as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter.
The Timberwolves shot just 38.8 per cent for the game while being dealt just their second defeat in their past eight outings. All-Star Anthony Edwards was 6 of 19 while being limited to 17 points, while starting forward Naz Reid managed just eight points on 3-of-13 shooting.
Monday's loss dropped Minnesota into a tie with the Denver Nuggets for first place in the Western Conference.
Max Verstappen set the pace in final practice ahead of qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The reigning world champion retired last time out in Australia but he was once again top of the timesheets at Suzuka.
His time of one minute 29.563 was unmatched, with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez getting closest to the championship leader but still having to settle for a gap of 0.269 seconds.
Mercedes lost both cars at the previous race but looked in good shape here as George Russell went third fastest with Lewis Hamilton next in line.
There was plenty of running in the hour-long session after both of Friday’s practices were affected – one by a red flag and the other by rain.
Fernando Alonso was fifth fastest with Lando Norris’ McLaren sixth and Australia’s race winner Carlos Sainz seventh for Ferrari.
His team-mate Charles Leclerc was down in 10th and was left fuming with his garage after the mistimed his final run on the track, cutting short his chances of improving.
Both Williams drivers were able to run after Logan Sargeant’s car was fixed following a big shunt on Friday – although the American was down in 19th place.
Buoyed by the team’s performance at the just-concluded Carifta Artistic Swimming Championships in Florida, Robyn Chin Sang, the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) vice-president with responsibility for artistic swimming, is hoping it will bring more recognition and support to the sport across the island.
Chin Sang, who beamed with pride about the exploits of Jordyana Thomas, Johanna Doman and Joydayne White, believes their performances speak volumes of the talent that the country boasts, as they defied the odds to claim one silver and five bronze and those were complemented by credible placements in other categories.
“Having team Jamaica represent at the Carifta Championships for artistic swimming was a big accomplishment for the country and for the girls to have qualified to make it to that event shows the potential of our athletes,” Chin Sang told SportsMax.TV.
She pointed out that attending events like these are important, as they introduce athletes to different levels of competition, and the manner in which the athletes displayed their prowess among more illustrious competitors, augurs well for their continued growth and development.
Artistic swimming, previously known as synchronised swimming, requires athletes to perform coordinated or identical movements in time to music, with performances lasting several minutes.
“Our delegation of three athletes was the smallest federation team at the championships, but having those three athletes place in the top eight for their category was an accomplishment. There is always room for growth, not just for each swimmer, but for the national team as a whole. The sport is growing across the island, and it is our aim to have a larger team representing at future championships,” Chin Sang declared.
That said, Chin Sang reaffirmed her commitment to bring heightened appreciation to the sport and its athletes, and, as such, renewed calls for sponsorship and support.
“My overall objective is to have the sport and its athletes recognized on both the local and international scene. The girls representing at the prestigious Carifta Championship for Artistic swimming was a great achievement. The girls gained knowledge, experience and managed to bring home 14 awards while representing their country even with the limited resources and support given,” Chin Sang shared.
“The sport is an expensive sport, but I refuse to let the finances or background of an athlete stop them from achieving and utilizing their God-given talents. Our next international meet is in May, and we will continue to make big splashes of success with our little stars, as we continue to seek support and sponsorship for the team of 22 athletes,” she ended.
Ronnie O’Sullivan admitted he was “trying really hard to not get down on himself” after reaching the final of the Tour Championship in thrilling fashion with a 10-7 victory against Gary Wilson.
World number 13 Wilson knocked out Mark Selby and Zhang Anda to reach the final four and he made a brilliant recovery in the first session, coming from 4-2 down to level it at 4-4.
An end-to-end tussle saw the score swing back and forth in the evening session, but O’Sullivan eventually pulled ahead, sealing victory with a century break and he admitted post-match that he was trying to “change his mindset” while playing.
“I’m just trying really hard to not get down on myself, it’s hard but I’m trying to sort of change my mindset,” he told ITV4.
“It’s not easy, maybe two weeks ago I’d have mentally thrown the towel in just because I wasn’t flowing but I just thought, ‘just keep going, keep going’ and just focus on some of the positives that might be round the corner.
O’Sullivan has been in conversations with psychiatrist Steve Peters and hopes to see his game “flow again”.
“(I’ve spoken with him) every day, three times a day, sometimes four times,” he said. “I’ve just got to commit to it now for a good year to try and get myself out of this sort of hole I’ve got myself in mentally with the obsession of the game, tinkering.
“I know I’m never going to stop tinkering, but I have to somehow get sort of my head strong enough to be able to deal with it and not go too deep into that horrible murky world that it is.
“Every sportsman – maybe golfers, tennis players, snooker players – I suppose we all do it, but I went so deep into that it’s like detoxing myself from it.
“It’s not going to happen straight away, so if I want to get out of it I’ve got to put a lot of hard work in.
“It kind of felt like I’ve had the yips in a way – mentally, physically – it feels like you get scared to even want to go and play.
“That’s not a nice place to be, so I’ve got nothing left to do other than to try and get myself mentally out of it and hopefully my game will start to flow again, maybe.”
Wilson had the advantage in the opening frames, posting 73 and 62 before O’Sullivan began to take a grip on the match.
He hit 102 in the third frame and the momentum was firmly with him as he took the following three frames – hitting 110 in the fifth – to take the lead.
However, Wilson clawed his way back into the game with 83 and 84 to level going into the evening session.
O’Sullivan experienced a chalk hit in the first frame of the evening session, allowing Wilson to swoop back in and take the frame, but O’Sullivan quickly levelled in the following frame and took the next two to lead 7-5.
An end-to-end tussle saw Wilson charge straight out of the blocks after the interval in spectacular style, taking back-to-back frames with a huge 135 followed by 96 in just 24 minutes.
However, O’Sullivan made another comeback, scoring 77 and 98 before securing his spot in the final in style with a 129 clearance.
He will meet either Mark Williams or Mark Allen in Sunday’s final, with their semi-final taking place on Saturday.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been fined $100,000 by the NBA for violating the league's injury reporting rules after Joel Embiid's return to the court.
Embiid spent over two months on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury during a game against the Golden State Warriors at the end of January, undergoing surgery to repair the lateral meniscus in his left knee.
The reigning NBA MVP, who was in outstanding form before sustaining the injury, sat out 29 straight games before returning to help the Sixers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 109-105 on Tuesday.
Embiid had 24 points in his first game back then added 29 on his latest outing on Thursday as the Sixers beat the Miami Heat by the same scoreline.
However, Philadelphia have fallen foul of the NBA's injury reporting rules after initially saying Embiid would not face the Thunder.
Embiid was listed as being out of that game for 24 hours before he was suddenly upgraded to questionable just one hour and 15 minutes before he was named in the Sixers' starting lineup.
In a statement issued on Friday, the league said: "The 76ers failed to accurately disclose the game availability status of Joel Embiid prior to their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2.
"Embiid was listed as 'out' in Philadelphia's initial injury report and subsequently played in the game. The fine takes into account the 76ers' prior history of fines for violating injury reporting rules."
Embiid is expected to be rested for one of the Sixers' two road games this weekend, as they face the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday and the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
Having won three straight games, the Sixers now sit just one game behind the sixth-placed Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference standings and have a chance of avoiding the Play-In Tournament.
Luke Littler insists he is “just a lad doing what he does best” after Nathan Aspinall called him a celebrity rather than a darts player.
Littler has transcended the sport following his explosion onto the scene at the World Championship over Christmas.
The 17-year-old has been a guest on the Jonathan Ross Show, Comic Relief and appeared on a podcast with social media stars The Sidemen.
However, that has not been a distraction as he has proved himself to be already one of the best players in the world, having won titles at the Bahrain Masters, PDC Players Championship, Belgian Open and making it back-to-back nightly Premier League wins at his Manchester homecoming on Thursday.
“Maybe look at my following, I might be classed as a celebrity,” he said. “But I’m just a lad doing what he does best.
“Am I? I don’t know. I’m just a dart player. I just get on with it, whatever comes my way.
“I just have to get on with it. Whether I say things and don’t back it up. But at the minute I’m saying things and do back it up.”
Asked what his favourite celebrity booking has been so far, he said: “Probably meeting up with The Sidemen. I’ve been watching them since the opening packs on Fifa 13 and 14.
“Just to chat with them and chill out when I’ve got a day off.
“It’s always good just to step away from the darting world, even if it’s just a day at home.
“At the minute everything is going well. I’ve not been planning to win anything, just let my darts do the talking.”
Littler beat his stablemate and friend Aspinall on the way to glory at the AO Arena on Thursday night.
It was Aspinall, who has been mentoring Littler on the mental side of the game, who said that Littler is more than a just a darts player.
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But ‘The Asp’ says Littler still has plenty to learn from those who do not claim the spotlight in the same way.
“He is a fantastic talent. What he’s done for the sport. Forget about his darts ability because it’s not about his darts,” he said.
“He’s not a darts player, he’s a celebrity. I’m a darts player, he’s a celebrity. That’s the difference.
“But what’s he doing, because he’s a celebrity, he’s projecting darts to a whole new level.
“I did a day of media on Tuesday at the BBC, BBC have never cared about darts. All of a sudden me and Luke Littler are in there for five hours doing media, they want us.
“That isn’t because of me or (Michael) Van Gerwen, that’s because of Luke Littler. So you’ve got to give credit where credit is due.
“He is helping us boys out as much as himself. But darts-wise, he’s great but he hasn’t got what we’ve got at the moment.
“He’s got to learn from us. I don’t learn from him, he learns from me.”
LeBron James’ son Bronny has confirmed he will enter the 2024 NBA draft as he looks to follow in his father’s footsteps.
The 19-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest last July and had surgery to repair a congenital heart defect during his first year as a USC student.
But, providing he clears the required medical check, he could be about to join his dad, who is the all-time record points scorer, in the NBA.
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Bronny James said on Instagram: “I’ve had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student and athlete.
“I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal.
“Thank you to USC for an amazing Freshman year, and as always thankful for my family, friends, doctors, athletic trainers and fans for their support.”
Just days after completing a ninth-consecutive Trainers' Championship triumph at Florida’s Gulfstream Park, Barbadian Saffie Joseph Jnr, kicked off the new season with a double on Thursday’s opening day of the Spring/Summer meet.
Joseph won the fourth and sixth races, the richest on the eight-race card. In the US$60,000 Maiden Special Weight fourth race, Joseph’s four-year-old filly Divine won with Edwin Gonzalez aboard as the 3-2 favourite. Joseph completed the double with 2-1 bet Imonra in the US$62,000 Allowance Optional Claiming sixth race with Paco Lopez riding.
The Spring/Summer meet, which Joseph has won for the past four consecutive years since 2020, runs until September 29.
Joseph is currently ranked eighth on the 2024 trainers’ list in all of North America with horses’ earnings of US$3.07 million.
Reflecting on his championship feat which he wrapped up last weekend, Joseph attributed the win to the quality of his team. The 37-year-old ended the campaign with 66 winners and in excess of US $3.4 million in purse earnings, once again ahead of Hall-of-Famer Todd Pletcher, who finished second with 37 winners.
“We’re always trying to get better, and to win a third championship meet in a row was very gratifying for all the work that the staff put in, and that’s what puts me in this position. I have a good team that works hard and we try to do it together. And the owners that supply these horses, the horses are the backbone and the big piece of the puzzle," Joseph said.
“We’ve got quality and we’ve got quantity, and that’s what you need to win titles and to stay relevant in today’s industry. You’ve got to keep winning. That’s what people want," he added.
British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington has expressed her delight at the positive response to this week’s new HorsePWR campaign relating to welfare in racing.
Encouraging feedback has flooded in from various sectors of the sport, with trainers, jockeys, breeders, owners and media representatives welcoming the initiative.
HorsePWR has its own dedicated website to provide information about the sport and the thoroughbred, the lives they lead and the high welfare and safety standards within racing.
In a statement on www.horsepwr.co.uk, Harrington said: “The response to our HorsePWR campaign is unprecedented for racing. For the industry to rally behind this cause with such full-throated support is immensely heartening.
“We deliberately took a bold and innovative approach to tackling welfare concerns fully aware that it carried a risk of a negative response in some quarters.
“But the way the sport has readily embraced this new concept shows just how much everyone in it recognises that perceptions around welfare are a critical issue for our future.
“It also shows that we recognise the need to be open, transparent and to tackle welfare concerns head-on.
“We should have confidence in what we do and understand that it is through education and information that we will build trust in the sport.
“We are extremely grateful to all the organisations and individuals who have supported the campaign.
“This is just the start and it is important to recognise that the impact campaigns have should never be judged on one day alone.
“We want to grow the campaign and use it to reach wider audiences. We also call on the sport to continue to promote and support the campaign as much as possible. It is in everyone’s best interest to do so.”
The website explores the areas that racing has committed to improve, such as the lives horses go on to have after racing, reducing risk on and off course and facts surrounding the whip.
Intinso will bid to follow up his successful comeback when lining up in the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Rosebery Handicap at Kempton.
Connections had high expectations for the John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old at the beginning of last season, starting his year off in the Feilden Stakes after a successful debut on the synthetics at Newcastle late on during his juvenile days.
Although he failed to add to his tally at three, he produced some encouraging displays and, having been gelded over the winter, the son of Siyouni impressed on his return at Wolverhampton last month.
Hopes are now raised that Intinso can continue on an upward curve and provide his Clarehaven training team with a first triumph in the £100,000 contest.
“He’s been in good form and he made a nice comfortable comeback win after being gelded,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for owner-breeder Imad Alsagar
“He has always actually been held in quite high regard by John and he’s been very straightforward moving into the race. This will be a major test, but he ran really well at York and in the Shergar Cup.
“We know he can handle the surface and we’re looking for a good run. Hopefully he will develop into a nice staying horse.”
Intinso is disputing matters at the top of the market with Andrew Balding’s Old Harrovian, who created a taking impression on the all-weather last spring before going on to run in Group Three company.
He returns from almost a year off with Oisin Murphy in the saddle, while Ed Bethell is optimistic Chillingham can build on a consistent 2023 campaign.
He said: “Hopefully he will run well. Dropping back a furlong wouldn’t be the best thing, but we have our fingers crossed he can run a nice race.
“He’s been a decent horse and danced a few dances now. Hopefully he’s freshened up over the winter and we can have a good season with him.”
Cannon Rock looked a stayer on the rise when breaking his maiden in good style at Newmarket two years ago.
Purchased out of Charlie Appleby’s yard by James Owen since, he has been seen just the once in the following 535 days, returning from a long lay-off to win readily at Southwell last month.
The Fastnet Rock gelding now faces an acid test of his potential, as he attempts to back up that Rolleston victory and provide his handler with a notable feather in his cap early on in his bourgeoning training career.
“He was bought to go juvenile hurdling actually, but he is just not a soft ground horse basically, so we’ve been waiting and waiting,” said Owen.
“We ran him at Southwell and he did surprise us a little bit. He had won a Newmarket maiden and then met with a setback which allowed us to buy him. He is all over that now, which he proved at Southwell, and he’s trained great since and worked very well.
“This is probably throwing him in at the deep end a little bit but it’s very good prize-money and I think this will show us where we are.
“He’s been drawn really well and we’ve put the cheekpieces back on him basically to help him be a bit more streetwise. They were on him when he won his maiden and I just thought we’d put them on, as it’s a really good prize and we want to give it our best chance.
“He’s fit and ready to go and I think he could run a massive race – he shows a lot of ability at home.”
Meanwhile, George Baker is hoping the Swiss air of St. Moritz can help Cemhaan produce his best, with the highest-rated runner in the field twice a winner in the past at the Sunbury venue.
A regular in these high-quality middle-distance events, his handler is now looking forward to what he can produce as he continues to fly the flag for his stable.
“He’s been a star for us and he actually had an aborted trip to St. Moritz recently, but he has come back off the mountain in good form and we are very happy with him,” said Baker.
“Sadly, the racing didn’t happen up the mountain, so he went all the way over there, had a bit of fresh air and came home. He’s going from the snow to the all-weather but he’s got plenty of decent form on the surface and we have our fingers firmly crossed he runs a big race for us.
“It’s obviously a hugely competitive race and he’s got a lot of weight as well, but he’s in good order and we’re looking forward to it.”
William Haggas’ Mystic Pearl has another Listed strike in her sights in the Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes at Kempton.
The four-year-old was a winner at this level in the Coral Distaff at Sandown last year and after a Group Three placing in the Prix de Lieurey at Deauville, she headed out to Dubai for the winter.
There she was sixth in the Cape Verdi and fourth in the Balanchine, both at Group Two level, and now she steps back down in grade to start her domestic campaign on the all-weather.
“She’s back in a Listed race, like the one she won at Sandown,” said Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager for owner Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum.
“The two races she ran in out in Meydan were both Group Twos, so we’re dropping back down in class. She worked very nicely last week, so we’re very hopeful.
“She will give a good account of herself I think, and they don’t always act when they go out there (Dubai), they either do or they don’t. I don’t think she was at her best out there, but she worked nicely the other morning anyway.”
James Ferguson’s Many Tears makes a first start for her new stable in the contest after leaving Ger Lyons on a high note.
For Lyons, she was a Listed winner at Dundalk in November when taking the Cooley Fillies Stakes, a victory that leaves her shouldering a penalty at Kempton.
Ferguson said: “She’s in great form and won a Listed race with Ger Lyons, so carries a penalty, but she seems to be training well and this is only the start of her year, so we’re hoping she runs big and we have then got the whole year ahead of us.
“She’s a nice filly and was bought by the Cunninghams to try and get some more black type in Europe, with the eventual plan to maybe be covered and then go down to Australia.”
Ferguson has another contender in the race in Mother Mary, whereas the only Irish challenger is the Joseph O’Brien-trained Adelaise.
Only beaten three-quarters of a length in the Prix Dahlia at Saint-Cloud and then two lengths in the Prix Casimir Delamarre at Longchamp, both Listed races, Adelaise is looking to gain some black type form in the Snowdrop.
O’Brien said: “She’s been a progressive filly for us last season and she has stayed in training with the hope of achieving some black type. This looks a logical starting point for her.”
Simon and Ed Crisford run Choisya in the race, a Night Of Thunder filly last seen winning over course and distance in a handicap ahead of Roger Varian’s Julia Augusta, who reopposes.
Philip McBride’s Zouky, David Menuisier’s Mysterious Love, Gemma Tutty’s in-form Enola Grey and Ed Walker’s Rose Prick complete the field of 10.
David Maxwell has been living out his dream, buying nice horses and getting to ride them himself – but it will peak when he lines up in the Randox Grand National on Ain’t That A Shame.
Like many involved in the sport, the Grand National is seen as the pinnacle to Maxwell but for a man viewed as an old-fashioned Corinthian amateur, it is a summit his family has already scaled, at least in one capacity.
The 1988 Grand National won by Rhyme ‘N’ Reason is one of the more famous ones, given how he almost fell at Becher’s Brook on the first circuit only to work his way back into contention under Brendan Powell.
For the Maxwell family, it was an emotional and stressful day, as the property developer explained: “My main Grand National memory is Rhyme ‘N’ Reason. My mother bred the horse, then my dad trained him for his first bumper wins before he went to England to be trained by David Murray Smith and latterly David Elsworth.
“I remember it like it was yesterday. He was headed in the closing stages by Durham Edition, but he was a bit of an old rogue and as soon as he hit the front, he felt like he’d done enough – and Rhyme ‘N’ Reason was as game as a badger and won by four lengths.
“The entire Maxwell family were screaming their heads off, my mother was nine months pregnant with my now 35-year-old sister. Just 10 minutes after the race, the gynaecologist was sitting next to her!
“He actually broke three bones in his hock when he almost came down at Becher’s and he never raced again but it just goes to show how game he was.”
Maxwell has come close to glory over the famous fences already, and while it was not in the National, his second place on Cat Tiger in the 2022 Foxhunters’ should at least give him some confidence down at the start.
“Cat Tiger pings round there and was second to Latenightpass in the Foxhunters’ – and of course Latenightpass is in the National this year,” said Maxwell.
“He’s not over-big but he’s very game. The Foxhunters’ is actually the only race I’ve been down at the start thinking ‘this might not actually be a good idea’, but then you get called in, do a slap down the shoulder, as much for yourself as the horse, and just get on with it.”
There has been plenty said about Maxwell’s participation in this year’s race but having met all the requirements, and after amateur Sam Waley-Cohen’s win on Noble Yeats two years ago, there is still the fairytale element to the race that no other has.
“Racing for me has been a bit of a middle-aged man obsession. I started mucking around with point-to-pointers in my late 20s, then I got a few more and got a few more and just kept going. You keep finding the next iteration of the drug,” said Maxwell.
“It starts with what turns out to be slow three-mile chasers for pointing, then someone shows you a nice hunter chaser, then it’s novice hurdlers, so there’s another stage of everything, like being allowed to ride against pros. I suppose the ultimate of it all is riding in the National.
“I don’t know if there’s anything in the theory of amateurs having a good record in it because some liken it to hunting. My theory is, if you are in the National, you can win it, all the cards are thrown in the air.”
Every year there are meetings to see what can be done to make the race safer and following last year’s disruption, racing was forced into defensive mode more than it ever has in the past, but the 45-year-old believes the right steps have been taken.
“I wouldn’t say anything can happen anymore, as they’ve made it safer to navigate with the fences and they’ve made it more and more like a really good Saturday handicap,” said Maxwell.
“With that, I mean Corach Rambler is 4-1 favourite and he never looks like not winning, it’s less and less like Foinavon could win this – but you do still get rank outsiders winning.
“This year, there are three amateurs in the race, so there’s around a nine per cent chance of an amateur winning it.
“The race has changed, you’ve got to have a touch of class now. But the world changes all the time.
“In racing, we are fond of knocking ourselves but racing has done a really good job here of making it safer. Every year, a lot of thought goes into it and this year it is no exception, with the field reduced to 34 and perhaps the best idea is making the run to the first fence shorter.
“Nobody wants to see fallers, we’re all animal lovers, so these changes make it a bit safer, there’s no point us continuing with our head in the sand.
“If we proceed thinking the world is the same as it was before – it’s not. It’s right that the Jockey Club and the BHA have made these changes to make the race safer.
“If you have a horse who is a safe conveyance and stays four miles, the likelihood is these days that you will get round – and then you get the situation where the best handicapped horse wins.”
Maxwell’s mount, trained in Ireland by Henry de Bromhead, who has won the National with Minella Times, has already won one of Ireland’s most competitive races, the Thyestes Chase.
“He’s a nice horse, I went and schooled him last week and he’s a lovely horse. He must have a reasonable chance but I’m actually looking forward to going hunter chasing with him the year after next when he’s 12,” said Maxwell.
“The Thyestes is always a good race and the fact that he didn’t go to Cheltenham must stand him in good stead too.
“It’s clearly going to be soft ground and obviously we all hope it doesn’t rain too much, but what we really would want is for it to stop raining about three days before the race, as then the ground would start becoming really hard work. If it’s just wet and sloppy, then it’s much easier to get through it.”
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