Antigua and Barbuda celebrated a remarkable double success in international bodybuilding at the weekend, as Melissa Seaforth secured gold in the Czech Republic, while Kimberly Percival claimed silver in London.
Seaforth, an IFBB Elite Pro, dominated the Bikini Fitness category at the IFBB Pro Pepa in the Czech Republic.
Her gold medal performance adds to a recent string of impressive achievements, including top-five finishes at both the IFBB Pro Grand Gala in Italy last week and the Arnold Classic World Championships two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, in London, reigning Sportswoman of the Year Kimberly Percival also continued her outstanding run of form with a silver medal in the Bikini Fitness class at IFBB’s Night of Champions 2024.
Kimberly Percival was second in London.
Percival, who holds the current World Champion title, has been on an exceptional run, having secured victories at both the IFBB Pro Grand Gala and the Arnold Classic World Championships in recent weeks.
With the dual podium finishes by both athletes who have consistently performed at the highest level of the sport, the Ambassadors continue to establish themselves among the world’s elite competitors, bringing notoriety to Antigua and Barbuda.
Another top-five finish for the country was Tony ‘Tiger’ Jacobs, who finished fourth in the Men’s Physique class at the same event in London.
Jacobs was awarded his Pro Card at the Roger Boyce Classic in Barbados in June of last year.
Paolo Banchero claimed he was "in the zone" as he turned in a record-breaking performance for the Orlando Magic.
Banchero finished with a career-high 50 points on Monday as the Magic beat the Indiana Pacers 119-115.
In the process, he matched the fifth-highest scoring effort in a single game in the Magic's history.
Indeed, at 21 years and 351 days old, Banchero is the youngest player to record a 50-point game for Orlando, and the second-youngest player with 50 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in an NBA game. Only LeBron James (20 years, 80 days) in 2005 against the Toronto Raptors did so at a younger age.
And with 37 of those points coming in the first two quarters, Banchero also matched the team record for points in a half.
"Man, I'm tired; I'm tired as hell," said Banchero, who contributed nine assists and 13 rebounds, too. "But it was a hell of a game.
"It was just being in the zone.
"[It] felt like I was in an open gym, back at home, just working on my game. Every shot felt like it was going in and it's a good feeling when you've got a day like that.
"Not every game is going to be like that, but I'm glad today was."
Such was Banchero's dominance, his first-half tally matched the combined efforts of all the Pacers' starters across the opening two quarters.
"That first half was a magical first half, for sure," he said.
Tracy McGrady was the last Magic player to have a 50-point game, when he recorded a franchise-leading 62 points against the Washington Wizards in March 2004.
Devin Booker scored nine of his 33 points in the fourth quarter as the Phoenix Suns dealt the Los Angeles Lakers their first loss of the season with Monday's 109-105 comeback win.
Kevin Durant added 30 points, 18 of which came in the second half, to help Phoenix move to 3-1 despite trailing 83-76 after three quarters.
The Lakers had their three-game winning streak to start the season halted despite Anthony Davis' 29 points and 15 rebounds. Austin Reaves went 5 of 9 from 3-point range and scored 23 points for Los Angeles, while Rui Hachimura compiled 20 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
LeBron James had an off shooting night, however, as the Lakers' superstar went 3 of 14 from the field while finishing with 11 points and eight assists.
Phoenix opened the fourth quarter on a 10-1 run, highlighted by 3-pointers from reserves Ryan Dunn and Royce O'Neale, to take an 86-84 lead with nine minutes to go.
The lead traded hands several times down the stretch until Durant knocked down back-to-back jumpers to put the Suns up 105-101 with two minutes left.
Jokic's 40 points helps secure Nuggets' first win
Nikola Jokić put up 40 points and 10 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets got their first victory of 2024-25, a hard-earned 127-125 overtime decision over the Toronto Raptors.
The Nuggets appeared on the way towards an 0-3 start after trailing by 15 points in the third quarter, but battled back to force overtime on native Canadian Jamal Murray's layup off a Jokic feed that just beat the final buzzer to tie the game at 114-114.
Jokic then scored seven points during a 10-2 run to start the extra period as Denver built a 124-116 lead with under three minutes left.
Toronto responded with a 9-3 surge to get within 127-125 with time winding down, and had a chance to win at the end. RJ Barrett misfired on a late 3-point attempt, and the Raptors couldn't get two tip-in tries to go in as time expired.
Murray finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Aaron Gordon had 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Denver.
Scottie Barnes amassed 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for Toronto before leaving the game in the final minute of regulation after being elbowed in the eye by Jokic.
Barrett scored 20 points in his season debut. The Toronto native missed the season's first three games with a sprained right shoulder.
Pritchard's eight 3-pointers help Celtics get to 4-0
Payton Pritchard went 8 of 12 from 3-point range in a 28-point performance off the bench that helped the Boston Celtics move to 4-0 with a 119-108 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Pritchard was 10 of 14 from the field while ending one shy of a career-high for 3-pointers in a game. The defending NBA champions also received 30 points from Jaylen Brown and 21 from Jrue Holiday while pulling away in the second half.
Milwaukee lost its third straight game since a season-opening win at Philadelphia despite Damian Lillard's 33 points and seven assists and a 30-point, 10-rebound, six-assist effort out of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks were coming off a 115-102 road loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
The Bucks owned an 80-79 edge late in the third quarter before Boston closed out the period on a 11-2 surge, capped by a Pritchard trey at the buzzer, to enter the fourth up 90-82.
Boston then shot 62.5 per cent from the field in the fourth quarter to end any Milwaukee comeback hopes, with Brown recording nine points during the period and Holiday adding eight.
A record-tying feat by Freddie Freeman and a sharp pitching performance from Walker Buehler has the Los Angeles Dodgers one win away from a World Series sweep.
Freeman had a two-run homer in the first inning and Buehler threw five scoreless innings as the National League Champions took a 3-0 series lead on the New York Yankees with Monday's 4-2 victory.
The Dodgers can wrap up their second World Series title in five years and eighth in franchise history in Tuesday's Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. Only one team in MLB history has won a best-of-seven post-season series after losing the first three games - the Boston Red Sox against the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series.
Shohei Ohtani, in the lineup despite injuring his left shoulder in Los Angeles' Game 2 win on Saturday, went 0 for 3 but did draw a walk off New York starter Clarke Schmidt to begin Monday's contest.
Two batters later, Freeman drilled Schmidt's pitch into the right-field seats to stake the Dodgers to a 2-0 lead. The first baseman has now homered in five consecutive World Series games, tying a record set by the Houston Astros' George Springer during the 2017 and 2019 editions.
Freeman also joined Hank Bauer (1958) and Barry Bonds (2002) as the only players to homer in each of the first three games of a single World Series. The All-Star slugger also went deep in Games 5 and 6 of the 2021 Fall Classic while then with the Atlanta Braves.
Buehler did not allow a hit until Giancarlo Stanton's double with one out in the fourth inning and yielded just two overall before departing with a 3-0 advantage.
The Dodgers got another run courtesy of a lead-off walk in the third inning. Tommy Edman drew the free pass from Schmidt before moving to second on Ohtani's groundout and crossing the plate on Mookie Betts' bloop single to right field.
Schmidt lasted just 2 2/3 innings and issued four walks while permitting three runs.
Los Angeles extended the margin to 4-0 in the sixth. Gavin Lux was hit by a pitch from New York reliever Jake Cousins and stole second before being brought home by Enrique Hernandez's single.
The Yankees did not get on the board until former Dodger Alex Verdugo's two-run homer off Michael Kopech in the ninth inning.
New York missed out on a chance to score following Stanton's double in the fourth, however, as the slugger was later thrown out at the plate by Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez on single off the bat of Anthony Volpe.
The Dodgers are expected to throw a bullpen game in Game 4, while the Yankees will send out 15-game winner Luis GIl in an attempt to extend the series.
Calvin Austin scored two touchdowns, including a tie-breaking 73-yard punt return in the third quarter, to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 26-18 victory over the New York Giants on Monday.
Austin also hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson that gave the Steelers a 23-9 lead with 13:16 left to play. Pittsburgh (6-2) also received 114 rushing yards from Najee Harris and four field goals from Chris Boswell to win its third straight game and retain first place in the AFC North.
Wilson, meanwhile, delivered another solid performance in his second start since missing the season's first six games with a calf injury. The veteran quarterback completed 20 of 28 passes for 278 yards and no interceptions.
Tyrone Tracy rushed for a career-high 145 yards on 20 carries and had a 45-yard touchdown run for the Giants, who had a chance to tie the game late after getting to the Pittsburgh 35-yard line in the final minute.
Daniel Jones overthrew a pass for Devin Singletary, however, as the Steelers' Beanie Bishop came up with an interception that sealed the victory and handed New York (2-6) a third straight loss.
Greg Joseph kicked four field goals for the Giants, including three in the first half to match Boswell as the teams went into half-time tied at 9-9.
Austin broke the deadlock, however, with 4:38 remaining in the third quarter. The wide receiver fielded a punt at his own 27-yard line, broke free down the left sideline and out-sprinted all pursuers to record the Steelers' first punt return touchdown since 2019.
Wilson's touchdown strike to Austin early in the fourth put Pittsburgh up by two scores, but Tracy broke off his lone touchdown run on the following possession to bring New York within 23-15 with 11:07 left. The Giants failed on the two-point conversion try, though, as Jones' short pass intended for Malik Nabers was broken up.
Jones finished 24 of 38 for 264 yards with the late interception. Darius Slayton led New York receivers with 108 yards on four catches, while Nabers had seven catches totaling 71 yards.
Lewis Hamilton insisted that he had no doubts that Mercedes team-mate George Russell would race cleanly in their battle at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hamilton finished the race in fourth, one place ahead of Russell, the seven-time world champion's best finish since winning the Belgian Grand Prix back in July.
The pair started fifth and sixth respectively, but swapped places on the opening lap, before Russell regained the initiative on Lap 14.
They each moved up a place through the pit stop phase, with Max Verstappen losing ground by serving two 10-second penalties, and Hamilton then closed in on Russell.
Hamilton shadowed Russell before eventually making the move stick into Turn 1 on Lap 65, climbing up into fourth position.
“It’s pretty straightforward, I don't think either of us are silly,” Hamilton said on his battle with his team-mate.
“George is really smart, and is fair, and he's just really good at where he places his car, and I think for me too.
"So when [the team] comes on the radio and says, keep it clean, it's like, ‘of course.’
"It's not really different to when you're fighting anyone else, except for it is your team mate, so you have to be double careful because you both want to finish.”
“It was fun, I had fun today,” Hamilton added. “I had a good start, I had a really bad first stint, took too much front wing out of the car, I had massive, massive understeer.
“After my stop, I was able to rectify it, and then after that I had a much better pace, and I was able to push and keep going.
"We stopped a little bit early as well, compared to what I had planned and stuff. We got good points.”
Hamilton will, however, hope to do better in Brazil this time around, having scored more points (185) than any other driver on the current grid around the Interlagos circuit.
Russell, meanwhile, ensured Mercedes claimed a double top-five finish and was happy with his finish after crashing in FP2 on Friday.
“I mean the pace looked pretty strong in the first stint but when I came out the pits behind Piastri, I pulled out down the straight and my front left flap just collapsed,” Russell said.
“I hit this bump so that probably cost me three or four tenths for the remainder of the race, so it was tricky to hold on for 40 laps. P5, probably would have taken that after Friday.”
The intense rivalry between Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls and England’s Vitality Roses will see its next chapter when the teams meet in a crucial four-match Test series in November.
The Roses and the Sunshine Girls are currently second and fourth with 189 and 187 rating points, respectively, in the Netball World Rankings based on matches up to October 6.
Sandwiched between the two is New Zealand with 188 points while Australia have a comfortable lead atop the rankings with 209 rating points.
The series will see the Jamaicans travelling to England for matches on November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester before hosting the Roses at the National Indoor Sports Centre on November 25 and 26.
As has been previously stated, this rivalry has been one of the most competitive in global netball and, to give some context, here are the results from various series and matchups between the two over the last 10 years.
The teams met on five occasions in total in 2015. They met in a three-match Test series in January in Jamaica which the hosts won 2-1 before meeting twice at the Netball World Cup in Australia in August.
Drawn together in the Group Stage, England defeated the Sunshine Girls 54-50 in the preliminaries before producing a dominant display in the bronze-medal game, winning 66-44.
A year later, the teams met again in a three-match Test series, this time in England with the Jamaicans once again coming out 2-1 winners.
Current Sunshine Girls captain and best goal shooter in the world at the moment, Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, kept it simple when recalling her favourite memory facing the Roses throughout her illustrious career.
“My best memory playing against England throughout my career has to definitely be any time we’ve beaten them,” she told Sportsmax.tv at a Sunshine Girls training session at the National Indoor Sports Centre last Friday.
“I take great joy in going up against them, especially beating them on their home turf,” she added.
A major tournament was once again the setting for the pair’s next meeting, this time at the 2017 Fast5 Netball World Series in Australia.
Jamaica defeated England 47-38 in the round robin stage but it was England who had the last laugh, defeating the Sunshine Girls 34-29 when it mattered most to win the title for the first time.
The teams next locked horns in the last four at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
England entered that game in red hot form, dominating everyone in the preliminary round on their way to a 5-0 record while Jamaica’s only loss up to that point in their five preliminary round games was to Australia.
The teams fought to the death in the semi-final with England eventually coming out victorious 56-55 before winning another nail-biter, 52-51 over Australia, to win gold.
Jamaica took bronze with a 60-55 win over New Zealand.
Current Sunshine Girl and global netball star, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, described that semi-final as a bittersweet moment when asked about her most vivid memories of facing the Roses in her career.
“I would say it’s a bad and a good memory because at least we were able to challenge England to that extent,” she told Sportsmax.tv.
A few months later that same year, the Girls got their revenge with a 3-0 Test series whitewash over their counterparts at home. The 2023 Suncorp Super Netball player of the year described this series as the best moment of her national team career, so far.
Moving on to the 2019 Netball World Cup which was hosted by England where the rivalry renewed in the preliminary round.
The hosts came out winners 56-48 and went on to claim bronze while Jamaica failed to advance to the semi-finals, finishing fifth.
Jamaica came out on top over the Roses at the 2020 Netball Nations Cup in England. They met in the third round with the Sunshine Girls coming out 70-66 winners before eventually losing the final 56-67 to New Zealand.
2021 saw England’s Roses secure their first Test series win over the Sunshine Girls since 2013 with a 2-1 win in Nottingham.
The two sides last met in January 2023 in a three-match test series played in Manchester and London which saw the Vitality Roses defeat Jamaica 73-52 in the first match, take a narrow 58-61 loss in the second match, and claim the series with a 63-59 win in the third and final test.
Amazingly, the two sides didn’t meet at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham or last summer’s Netball World Cup in South Africa.
The Sunshine Girls took silver in Birmingham while the Roses finished fourth. The World Cup saw England take home a historic silver medal while Jamaica took bronze.
It remains to be seen who will come out on top in the latest edition of this rivalry but one thing’s for sure, it will be exciting.
Jordi Fernandez labelled his first NBA triumph as "special" after watching his Brooklyn Nets side upset Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks 115-102 on Sunday.
Fernandez's team outworked the Bucks for four quarters, forcing 18 turnovers and grabbing 12 offensive rebounds while attempting 17 more field goals than their opponents.
Cam Thomas and Dennis Schroder starred in the victory, scoring 61 points between them, handing the rookie head coach a maiden win at the third attempt.
Fernandez is the first Spanish-born head coach in NBA history, with the result marking the end of a 15-year journey through the ranks.
He started with the Canton Charge in the G League, then becoming an assistant for both the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings before his move to the Nets in April.
"It's very special to come all the way from starting from the bottom in the NBA, and working really hard and move up, and move up, and some good moments, some tough moments, different teams, friends, memories," Fernandez said.
"And it's really cool now you look and you have to enjoy this moment because there's only one time that you're a head coach and win a game.
"On the other end, I also feel like, what's the next step? And we've got to move on to the next thing and I want to be in this league, I want to be with this club for a long time."
Lando Norris believes Max Verstappen deserved the 20-second penalty he was hit with at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Verstappen received two separate 10-second penalties for incidents early on in Sunday's race, which was won by Carlos Sainz.
Reigning Formula One champion Verstappen was given one penalty for forcing Norris off the track at Turn Four in the 10th lap, and then another for leaving the track four corners later.
It meant Verstappen saw his lead at the top of the driver standings cut to 47 points, while Ferrari are now ahead of Red Bull in the constructor standings.
And Norris has little sympathy for his title rival.
"It was not fair, clean racing," said Norris, as reported by BBC Sport. "I think he got what he had coming to him.
"I felt like I just had to avoid collisions, and that's not what you feel like you want to do in a race.
"He's in a very powerful position in the championship. He's a long way ahead. He has nothing to lose.
"It's not my job to control him. He knows how to drive. And I'm sure he knows that today was probably a bit over the limit."
Norris and Verstappen tussled at Austin, too, but the McLaren driver wants to race clean.
"Austin, I don't think anyone should have got a penalty," he added. "Let's say we both kind of did things wrong. I feel like I was made to do something wrong.
"The majority of people, the majority of drivers feel like that was the same thing.
"That's why you've heard of some of the rule changes that might be coming and those types of things. It's because there's a common consensus that it wasn't correct what happened in the result that I had last weekend.
"Today, I think, was another level on both of those cases. I was ahead of Max in the braking zone, past the apex. I am avoiding crashing today. This is the difference. I don't see it as a win or anything like this, but it's more that I hope Max acknowledges that he took it a step too far."
"I go into every race expecting a tough battle with Max. It's clear that it doesn't matter if he wins or second, his only job is to beat me in the race. And he'll sacrifice himself to do that.
"But I want to have good battles with him. I want to have those tough battles, like I've seen him have plenty of times. But fair ones. It's always going to be on the line. It's always going to be tough with Max. He's never going to make anyone's life easy, especially mine at this point of the year.”
Steve Kerr is confident the Golden State Warriors can get by offensively in the potential absence of Stephen Curry.
Veteran campaigner Curry suffered an ankle injury in the Warriors' 112-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
According to Kerr, Curry described the issue as "mild or moderate" after he exited the game in the fourth quarter.
However, reports have suggested that Curry may miss several games, having sustained multiple sprains to his left ankle.
"I feel more comfortable that we can withstand an absence offensively without Steph because of [our] depth," said Kerr.
"He's doing okay. He’s said it was mild or moderate – he's sprained that ankle many times before, so he doesn't think it’s too bad, but obviously it's a concern."
Andrew Wiggins, who finished with 29 points and shot 11-of-15, is one of the players Kerr wants to see step up if Curry is to be out for a while.
"Wiggs is off to a great start and had a great night," Kerr said.
"He's an obvious candidate to get the ball more. But we've got a deep team. We've got a lot of guys who can play. We will be ready."
Curry's teammate Buddy Hield told ESPN: "We've just got to stick together. It'll be a great challenge."
That sentiment was echoed by Gary Payton II, who helped Curry off the court.
"[I just] shake my head," Payton said. "Hate to have it, especially with him. But we'll be all right.
"Hopefully he doesn't miss too many, but we've got to figure it out."
Curry has averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists so far this season, across three appearances.
Despite heavy rains during the day which created challenging conditions, fans flocked to the Rough Fight League event on Saturday night at Funland, Hope Gardens, where intense matchups and special guests made for an unforgettable evening of MMA. Among the highlights was the appearance of Bellator and PFL World Champion Jason Jackson, who thrilled the crowd with a special exhibition bout against promoter and fellow MMA fighter Kyle Chin.
Inside the cage, Shaienie ‘Da Great’ Blake, Theron ‘Iron Prince’ Rose-Green, and Tyrece ‘Tank’ Thompson emerged victorious, demonstrating grit and skill. Blake dominated Daron ‘Avatar’ Weir, ending the fight in the second round with a decisive KO following a series of punishing leg kicks and a perfectly-timed hook, prompting the referee to stop the bout.
Rose-Green claimed victory over Jaheim ‘Imru Makonnen’ Morrison with a choke submission in the third round, while Thompson defeated Samuel Campbell in the first round by TKO with relentless ground-and-pound.
The night’s action also saw Khalil Gordon secure a dramatic victory over Joshua Myers, who had dominated the first two rounds with superior technique and control. However, Gordon turned the tide in the third, catching Myers in a guillotine choke and forcing the tap-out, completing a remarkable comeback.
In another intense matchup, Jordan Mitchell faced off against Chevon Gordon. Mitchell wasted no time, swiftly taking Gordon to the ground in the first round and unleashing a powerful sequence of strikes. His ground-and-pound overwhelmed Gordon, prompting the referee to stop the fight, awarding Mitchell the TKO win.
Chris McNair also claimed a notable victory, taking on Sanjae Hudson in a heated bout. McNair’s relentless body attacks in the second round proved too much for Hudson, with a series of punishing blows leading to a TKO stoppage, securing McNair’s win.
Meanwhile, Demar ‘Force’ Haslam displayed explosive power in his bout against Nakia Anderson. In just the first round, Haslam connected with a precise, devastating strike and securing one of the night’s most decisive victories.
Promoter Kyle Chin, reflecting on the night, expressed satisfaction despite the hurdles caused by the day’s rain. “It was a fantastic night borne out of determination and the will to keep going on,” Chin said. “The torrential rain (earlier in the day) was challenging, especially on the grass venue for setting up the cage and trussing. Despite the delays, fans arrived promptly, and the energy was incredible.”
Chin highlighted the enthusiasm of special guest Jason Jackson, whose participation added a thrilling element to the night. “Jason was really happy to be there, and we could not have been happier to have him,” Chin noted. “We ended up with a decent turnout, proving there are true die-hard fans for MMA here.”
The Rough Fight League continues to make waves in Jamaica’s MMA scene, with fighters and fans alike showing dedication to the sport, rain or shine.
Carlos Sainz celebrated a victory he "needed" after he claimed top spot at the Mexican Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver, who will be replaced by Lewis Hamilton next season, won from pole on Sunday, edging out Lando Norris and his team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen was handed a 20-second penalty, and finished sixth, meaning Ferrari leapfrogged Red Bull in the Formula One constructor standings.
It marked Sainz's seventh podium finish of the season, and his second victory - one that the Spaniard was set on clinching after his excellent qualifying session.
"It's incredible to see this crowd, I've been feeling their support all week and I feel like I’ve got a lot of fan support here in Mexico and they've given me a lot of strength," he said.
"Honestly, I really wanted this one, I needed it for myself, I wanted to get it done.
"I've been saying for a while I wanted one more win before leaving Ferrari and to do it here in front of this mega crowd is incredible.
"Now, four races left I want to enjoy as much as possible and if another one comes I will go for it."
Sainz relinquished the lead to Verstappen on the first lap, before the race was put under the safety car after a collision between Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda.
After the restart, Sainz swiftly passed Verstappen into Turn One, racing clear as the Dutchman and his title rival Norris battled behind him.
"I didn't prepare to be honest," Sainz said of overtaking Verstappen.
"I was just a bit annoyed at the start having lost position to him and I said I need to surprise him one way or another, as he's super difficult to pass, he's proven it many times.
"I was a bit far back but I had nothing to lose. I'm just going to send one down the inside.
"I've been confident in the braking to Turn One this weekend and I knew I could make it."
Jack Draper claimed his first ATP 500 title at the Vienna Open after downing Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-5 on Sunday.
Draper rallied from 4-0 down in the second set to claim the triumph, with his season record improving to 37-21.
The Briton also became the first player to win the tournament on his debut since compatriot Andy Murray did so in 2014.
At the end of a stellar season, the 22-year-old will rise to a new career-high of number 15 in the world rankings on Monday.
“I was playing so good, and then the momentum shifted,” said Draper.
“Honestly, I didn’t feel too nervous or tight, I just missed a few balls and made some wrong decisions, and Karen picked up his level.
"That’s a testament to how good he is, he’s a fighter, and he’s in great form.
“It got really tight there, but I stayed solid and in a good mental frame. Luckily, I was able to come through. It was a relief. To win my first ATP 500 feels incredible.
"I am incredibly happy and so proud of myself and my team. It’s for moments like this, so I am going to enjoy it.”
At the Swiss Indoors in Basel, meanwhile, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard stunned Ben Shelton 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to become the lowest-ranked champion since Basel became a tour-level event in 1975.
Mpetshi Perricard took advantage of an uncharacteristically slow start from Shelton to take the opener before edging a second-set tie-break for the win.
In a battle between two big hitters, it was the Frenchman who prevailed, serving a massive 22 aces, including two that sealed the win, compared to Shelton's 10.
“It’s amazing to win a tournament like that, a 500, for the first time for me,” said Mpetshi Perricard.
“I just can be happy with myself, with what I did today and the past five days. It’s amazing to win here.
"[Before this] it was a tough month for me, but it’s always good when the victories are there.”
Jameis Winston threw three second-half touchdown passes in his first start in over two years, including a 38-yard strike to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left that lifted the Cleveland Browns to a stunning 29-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Playing its first game since starting quarterback Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles tendon last week, Cleveland (2-6) halted a five-game skid and ended the Ravens' five-game winning streak behind a superb effort from Winston. The former No. 1 overall pick completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards and no interceptions in his first start since Week 3 of the 2022 season while then with the New Orleans Saints.
Tillman had another touchdown catch in the third quarter and compiled a career-high 99 yards on seven receptions. David Njoku hauled in Winston's first touchdown pass of the day and finished with five catches for 61 yards.
Baltimore (5-3) had taken a 24-23 lead on Derrick Henry's 2-yard touchdown run with 2:36 remaining to cap a six-play, 91-yard drive highlighted by two Lamar Jackson completions to Zay Flowers for 29 and 23 yards.
Flowers ended with 115 yards on seven catches, while Jackson threw for 289 yards on 23-of-38 passing with touchdowns to Nelson Agholor and Mark Andrews. Henry led all players with 73 rushing yards on 11 attempts.
Daniels' Hail Mary touchdown pass lifts Commanders over Bears, Williams
Jayden Daniels won his head-to-head meeting with Caleb Williams in spectacular fashion, as the Washington Commanders' rookie quarterback threw a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Noah Brown as time expired to give the NFC East leaders a shocking 18-15 win over the Chicago Bears.
Daniels, taken one spot behind Williams with the No. 2 pick in this year's draft, evaded pressure before heaving the ball from his own 35-yard line into a crowd of players near the goal line. The pass was tipped by the Commanders' Zach Ertz and landed right into the arms of Brown to give Washington (6-2) its fifth win in six games.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner shook off a rib injury that had him questionable coming into the game to throw for 326 yards on 21-of-38 passing. Terry McLaurin recorded 125 yards on five catches for Washington, while Ertz had seven receptions for 77 yards.
Williams led Chicago (4-3) on a 10-play, 62-yard drive late that Rochon Johnson capped with a 1-yard touchdown run that briefly put the Bears ahead with 25 seconds left. The 2022 Heisman recipient then found Cole Kmet in the end zone for the ensuing 2-point try and a 15-12 lead.
Williams struggled for much of the day, however, completing just 10 of 24 passes for 131 yards as the Bears fell behind 12-0 until late in the third quarter, when D'Andre Swift's 56-yard touchdown run got Chicago on the board.
Swift finished with a season-high 129 yards on 18 carries.
Patriots score late touchdown to extend Jets' woes
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft also helped his team to a win Sunday, though Drake Maye exited the New England Patriots' 25-22 comeback victory over the still-reeling New York Jets with a concussion early in the second quarter.
Jacoby Brissett replaced Maye, who departed following a helmet-to-helmet hit by New York linebacker Jamien Sherwood, and engineered a 12-play, 70-yard drive capped by Rhamondre Stevenson's 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 22 seconds left.
Stevenson then caught Brissett's short pass for the ensuing two-point conversion to put the Patriots up by a field goal, and New England (2-6) held on the rest of the way to end a six-game losing streak.
New York (2-6) has now lost five in a row and dropped to 0-3 since firing head coach Robert Saleh on Oct. 8 and replacing him with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
Brissett went 15 of 24 for 132 yards and no interceptions in place of Maye, who recorded his first career touchdown run before leaving when his 17-yard scramble gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Stevenson also had a touchdown run in the third quarter and registered 48 yards on 20 rush attempts.
Aaron Rodgers threw first-half touchdown passes to Tyler Conklin and Xavier Gipson to send the Jets into half-time with a 13-7 lead. New England rallied to go up 17-16 on Joey Slye's field goal midway through the fourth quarter, but New York went back in front on Braelon Allen's 2-yard touchdown run that made the score 22-17 with 2:57 left.
Rodgers completed 17 of 28 passes for 233 yards, while Garrett Wilson led the Jets' receivers with 113 yards on five catches.
Packers edge Jaguars late despite injury to Love
The Green Bay Packers also overcame an injury to their quarterback to pull out a last-second win, a 30-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Brandon McManus' 24-yard field goal as time expired.
Malik Willis led the deciding late drive after taking over for Jordan Love, who injured his groin on Green Bay's first possession and eventually left the contest early in the second half.
Willis threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft early in the fourth quarter to give the Packers a 27-17 lead, but Jacksonville (2-6) countered with Cam Little's 47-yard field goal before tying the game on Trevor Lawrence's 14-yard touchdown delivery to Evan Engram with 1:48 remaining.
Two plays later, Willis connected with Jayden Reed for a 51-yard gain to set up McManus' third field goal of the day, which lifted Green Bay (6-2) to a fourth consecutive win.
Willis completed 4 of 5 passes for 56 yards in place of Love, who was 14 of 22 for 196 yards and one interception before departing.
The Packers also got a big lift from running back Josh Jacobs, who amassed 127 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
Lawrence also threw a touchdown pass to Brian Thomas in the third quarter and finished with 308 yards and one interception while completing 21 of 32 throws. The quarterback also had a 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Cardinals rally late to shock Dolphins, spoil Tagovailoa's return
In another game that came down to the final play, the Arizona Cardinals seized a 28-27 win over the Miami Dolphins on Chad Ryland's 34-yard field goal with no time remaining.
Sparked by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's return from a concussion that sidelined him four games, Miami (2-5) held a 27-18 fourth-quarter lead before the Cardinals scored 10 unanswered points in the final nine minutes.
Arizona (4-4) closed the gap on James Conner's 2-yard touchdown run with 8:48 left that ended an eight-play, 70-yard drive. Kyler Murray then marched the Cardinals 73 yards on 13 plays on their next possession to put his team in range for Ryland's winning kick.
Murray completed 26 of 36 attempts for 307 yards with touchdown passes to Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr., who put up 111 yards on six catches. Trey McBride added 124 yards on nine grabs in Arizona's second straight win.
Tagovailoa finished with 234 yards on 28-of-38 passing and connected with De'Von Achane for a 12-yard touchdown in the third quarter in his first appearance since Week 2.
Achane had 50 receiving yards on six catches along with 97 rushing yards for Miami, which lost for the fifth time in six games despite two short rushing touchdowns from Raheem Mostert.
49ers bounce back, continue Cowboys' struggles with big second half
Brock Purdy had both a passing and rushing touchdown during a dominant third quarter that propelled the San Francisco 49ers to a 30-24 win over the slumping Dallas Cowboys.
Down 10-6 at half-time, San Francisco (4-4) scored touchdowns on each of their third-quarter drives to take a 27-10 lead before holding on and rebounding from last week's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of last season's Super Bowl participants.
Isaac Guerendo put the 49ers ahead with a 4-yard touchdown run, a score set up by Purdy's 43-yard completion to George Kittle. Deommodore Lenoir then intercepted Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott on the following possession, with the turnover leading to Purdy's 2-yard touchdown pass to Kittle that staked San Francisco to a 20-10 advantage midway through the period.
The 49ers moved 75 yards on nine plays on their next series to extend the margin on Purdy's 2-yard touchdown run.
Purdy ended 18 for 26 for 260 yards. Kittle compiled 128 yards on six receptions, while Guerendo added 85 rushing yards on 14 attempts.
Dallas (3-4) made the final score more competitive with two Prescott touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb in the fourth quarter in its first outing since a 47-9 home loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 6.
Lamb had a monster night in defeat with 146 yards on 13 catches. Prescott threw for 243 yards on 25-of-38 passing but was intercepted twice.
The Golden State Warriors were dealt their first defeat of the season Sunday, and may have suffered an even greater loss in their home opener.
Stephen Curry exited in the fourth quarter with a left ankle injury in the Los Angeles Clippers' 112-104 win over the Warriors, who entered the contest off back-to-back blowout road victories over the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz.
Curry initially left the game late in the third quarter but returned with just over eight minutes left in the fourth. The two-time NBA MVP lasted just 13 seconds before hobbling to the bench after setting a screen, however, and headed to the locker room before being ruled out of the remainder of the game shortly afterward.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said afterward that Curry, who finished with 18 points and six assists, has a "mild to moderate" sprain and will undergo an MRI.
James Harden and Ivica Zubac led the Clippers, who never trailed after embarking on an 11-1 run to build a 56-45 lead late in the second quarter, with 23 points each. Harden added 11 assists and seven rebounds, while Zubac pulled down 18 boards to go along with six assists.
Los Angeles also received 20 points from Norman Powell in its second straight win since a season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Andrew Wiggins paced Golden State with 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including a 5-for-8 effort from 3-point range.
Maxey's 45 points sends 76ers past Pacers in overtime
Tyrese Maxey scored 10 of his 45 points in overtime to rally the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers to their first win of the season, a 118-114 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Still without All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George due to knee injuries, the 76ers bounced back from two straight losses to start the campaign despite trailing 102-97 with under 90 seconds left in regulation.
Philadelphia then went on an 8-0 run, capped by two Maxey free throws with 11.7 seconds remaining, to briefly move ahead until Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton forced overtime with a 3-pointer that tied the score at 105-105 with 3.5 seconds to go.
Maxey took over in the extra session, however, scoring a pair of layups around a made free throw by the Pacers' Myles Turner to give the 76ers a 114-111 lead with 20.7 seconds left. The sharpshooting guard later sealed the victory with two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining that extended the margin to 118-114.
Caleb Martin added 17 points and 12 rebounds for Philadelphia, which also received 17 rebounds from Andre Drummond with the veteran center starting in Embiid's place.
Haliburton led the Pacers with 22 points, while Pascal Siakam had 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting along with six assists in Indiana's second straight loss since a season-opening win at Detroit.
Nets beat Bucks for Fernandez's first win
Cam Thomas scored 32 points and Dennis Schröder added 29 as the Brooklyn Nets gave rookie head coach Jordi Fernandez his first NBA victory with a 115-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
After opening the season with consecutive losses, the Nets outscored Milwaukee by a 22-4 margin over a stretch of under seven minutes in the fourth quarter to win their home opener under Fernandez, a native of Spain who spent the last two seasons as the Sacramento Kings' associate head coach.
Brooklyn broke the game open with a 10-0 run that Thomas capped with a three-point play to give his team a 99-85 lead with seven minutes to go. The Nets' advantage later grew to 22 points when Nic Claxton dunked in a feed from Cameron Johnson to make the score 111-89 with 2:36 left.
Milwaukee was dealt its second straight loss since a season-opening win at Philadelphia despite Giannis Antetokounmpo's 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
Damian Lillard added 21 points for the Bucks but went 1 of 7 from 3-point range. Milwaukee shot just 30.3 per cent from beyond the arc for the game.
Carlos Sainz led Ferrari to a second victory in as many weeks as Lando Norris and Max Verstappen clashed once again at an enthralling Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday.
Sainz secured his second victory of the season, despite having lost the lead to Verstappen on the first lap, to become the first Ferrari driver to win in Mexico since 1990.
But a week on from their tussle in Austin, Verstappen and Norris were again involved in an incident, resulting in the Dutchman recieving two 10-second penalties.
Verstappen was given a penalty for forcing Norris off the track in an incident at Turn Four on lap 10 and another for leaving the track and gaining an advantage four corners later.
Norris took second place, catching and passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for second with nine laps to go, subsequently gaining points to Verstappen in the drivers' championship battle.
Behind the top three, Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were locked in combat throughout, but it was the seven-time world champion who claimed fourth place.
Verstappen's penalty saw him end the race in sixth, while Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg finished inside the top 10.
Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri was sandwiched in between the Haas duo in eighth, while Pierre Gasly picked up a rare point in what has been a disappointing season for the Frenchman.
Data Debrief: Smooth Operator
Sainz's triumph saw him claim a fourth win in Formula 1, and his second of 2024 after winning in Australia earlier this year - the first time he has two wins in a season.
The Spaniard has achieved all four of his victories as a Ferrari driver, equalling John Surtees, Eddie Irvine and Clay Regazzoni for the Italian team.
He also became the third Scuderia driver to win in Mexico after Jacky Ickx in 1970 and Alain Prost in 1990.
Top 10
1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
5. George Russell (Mercedes)
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers'
1. Max Verstappen - 362
2. Lando Norris - 315
3. Charles Leclerc - 291
Constructors'
1. McLaren - 566
2. Ferrari - 537
3. Red Bull - 512
Darin Richards and Yeonie Campbell claimed top honors at the Jamaica Rifle Association’s (JRA) Jamaica Cup IPSC Level 3 shoot, held at the JRA's head office and shooting range on Mountain View Avenue in Kingston. The event, a qualifier for the 2025 IPSC World Cup in South Africa, drew fierce competition as shooters battled under scorching conditions for coveted spots on the national team.
Richards took home the title in the Standard Division, a win he credited to his disciplined approach to mastering steel targets. “It was very awesome. The stages were very challenging," Richards said, describing the intensity of the competition. "I personally had some issues but was determined. I did my best, and I thank God I won my division.” His focused preparation paid off, earning him 741.42 points ahead of Paul Dixon, who scored 711.12, and Thomas Jones with 681.69.
In the Production Division, Campbell, also the JRA's pistol captain and match director, secured the win with an impressive 766.90 points. Balancing her roles as organizer and competitor, she described the experience as both rewarding and intense. “It was very pressuring. I had to organize the match itself...The team of us worked very hard to put on the production, and I am glad it came across very well,” Campbell shared, noting that winning her division made the effort all the more fulfilling. Campbell finished ahead of Sanjay Wilson (709.32) and Josimar Clarke (689.36).
Other notable performances included Ryan Bramwell’s victory in the Production Optics Division, scoring 1049.81 points. Bramwell, a seasoned competitor who made a switch to Production Optics for the event, comfortably outscored Chris Hart (946.20) and Adrian Randle (946.02). Alrice Palmer dominated the Open Division, scoring 1011.28 points, while Petrano Belafonte (971.93) and Alvin More (964.49) finished in second and third, respectively.
JRA President Rohan Wilson praised the event, noting its success since its inception in 2015. “I am very grateful that it was a safe day. I am very grateful that everyone came out and enjoyed it,” Wilson said. “The weather, the heat was grueling, but all in all, it was a successful day. The sport of practical pistol is still a very relevant sport.”
Island Car Rentals, the event’s main sponsor, supported this year’s Jamaica Cup IPSC Level 3 shoot, adding further prestige to an already impactful competition.
Shohei Ohtani will be back in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup for Game 3 of the World Series against the New York Yankees on Monday.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Karl Ravech of ESPN on Sunday that Ohtani is "in a great spot and will be playing in game 2 tomorrow."
Ohtani partially dislocated his left shoulder on a feet-first slide when he was caught stealing second base to end the seventh inning in Saturday's 4-2 win.
He then laid on the infield dirt near second base for a couple minutes before walking off the field holding his left arm.
After the game, Roberts said that Ohtani "had a little left shoulder subluxation."
With Saturday's victory, the Dodgers have grabbed a 2-0 lead in the World Series despite some struggles at the plate from Ohtani.
The likely National League MVP was 0 for 3 with a walk in Game 2, and is 1 for 8 in the first two games of the Fall Classic.
In 13 play-off games, Ohtani is batting .260 with three home runs and 10 RBIs with 19 strikeouts.
The highly anticipated matchup between the top two picks of this year's NFL draft will happen.
Jayden Daniels will play for the Washington Commanders in their Week 8 game against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Daniels was uncertain to play because of a rib injury sustained in last Sunday's 40-7 rout of the Carolina Panthers.
Daniels was limited in Friday's practice after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday's sessions and was officially listed as questionable before being made active about 90 minutes before kick-off.
The Commanders selected Daniels second in April's draft after the Bears took Williams first overall.
Williams won the 2022 Heisman Trophy as the top collegiate football player in the United States and Daniels won the prestigious award last year.
Daniels has the early edge in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year race, with 1,410 passing yards to go with 10 total touchdowns in just over five games after getting hurt early last weekend.
Williams, meanwhile, has 1,317 passing yards with nine passing touchdowns, but has shown marked improvement in leading the Bears (4-2) to three straight wins. He threw four TDs in Chicago's last game - a 35-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in Week 6 - and has compiled a 122.8 passer rating during the winning streak.
Daniels has a 107.0 passer rating on the season while leading the Commanders (5-2) to their surprising perch atop the NFC East.
Journeyman backup Marcus Mariota played well after taking over for the injured Daniels late in the first quarter last week, completing 18-of-23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
