Unseeded Czech Sara Bejlek has stunned American Madison Keys to reach her first WTA 1000 semi-final at the Cincinnati Open, setting up a clash with fourth seed Coco Gauff.
The 20-year-old fought back from a set down to secure a dramatic 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5) victory in two hours and 37 minutes.
Her impressive run to the last four includes remarkable victories over world number one Aryna Sabalenka and reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova.
Seeking her second title of the year following February’s triumph in Abu Dhabi, the world number 35 showed immense resilience against her experienced opponent.
Bejlek overcomes significant deficit
The rising prodigy trailed 3-1 in the second set before winning five of the next six games to force a decider.
She then demonstrated remarkable composure to recover from a 4-2 deficit in the final-set tie-break.
“We had a kind of big talk with my team a couple of weeks ago, and since that moment I feel that it’s going quite well,” Bejlek said.
“I’m getting better in believing in myself and improving also physically on the court.”
Gauff reaps rewards from aggressive net play
Meanwhile, Gauff comfortably dispatched Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-2 6-2 to secure her third consecutive semi-final appearance.
The American is enjoying a deep tournament run following recent semi-final defeats at Wimbledon and the Canadian Open.
Adopting a more aggressive tactical approach, the fourth seed attributed her recent success to advice from tennis legend Chris Evert.
“I didn’t realize how good I was at it until Wimbledon,” Gauff explained.
“Everyone has been telling me to come to the net more. Actually, Chris Evert has been texting me sometimes to come to the net more.”
“And I tell her yeah, I’m going to, and then I just don’t. I finally did at Wimbledon and I won so many points that way.”
“And obviously here, there’s just a big difference when you’re able to finish the point at the net.”
Crucial preparation for New York
Both players will use this high-stakes encounter as vital preparation ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year.
The US Open gets underway in New York on 30 August.
Veteran running back Nick Chubb has announced his retirement from the NFL at the age of 30 following an eight-year career with the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans.
The four-time Pro Bowl selection confirmed his decision in an emotional social media post on Friday evening.
He expressed a desire to conclude his playing days on a healthy note and alongside a winning season.
“Today’s the day I’ve been avoiding for a while. Twelve year old me could never imagine this day, and 30 year old me is wondering where all the time has gone,” he wrote.
Overcoming major injury setbacks
The former Georgia standout endured a challenging journey with severe physical setbacks throughout his time on the gridiron.
He suffered a devastating left knee injury during the 2023 campaign which sidelined him for 15 games that year and the first six matches of the following season.
This was not the first time the dynamic rusher faced such adversity, having previously torn multiple ligaments in the exact same knee during his collegiate sophomore year.
“The only thing I could control after hurting my knee twice was getting back up, getting back to work, and getting back on the field, and I was able to do that both times.”
A prolific rushing legacy
Before his most recent physical setback, the 30-year-old established himself as one of the most formidable offensive weapons in the sport.
Drafted in the second round by Cleveland in 2018, he recorded four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons, peaking with a career-best 1,525 yards in 2022.
He departs professional football having amassed an impressive 7,349 total rushing yards and 54 touchdowns across his eight professional campaigns.
The veteran ball-carrier spent his final season with Houston, contributing 506 yards and three scores as rookie Woody Marks eventually assumed the primary workload.
“I say this to all my brothers still on the field, still in the heat of it: There’s a life waiting for you after football, too. And health is the real wealth.”
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman is under investigation by the NFL following a June arrest in Georgia over a domestic violence incident.
The league confirmed it is reviewing the case under its personal conduct policy after being notified by the franchise.
Bateman was apprehended after allegedly smashing the driver’s side window of a vehicle containing the mother of his child and their three-month-old baby.
Shattered glass from the altercation caused multiple small lacerations to the victim’s face, according to the arrest warrant.
Cooperation and legal proceedings
Representatives for the 26-year-old stated that he turned himself in to the Walton County sheriff’s office on the same day as the incident.
A court has since granted a request to lift a no-contact order after the victim indicated she wished to maintain contact with the player.
“We notified the league office and have been cooperating throughout the process,” the Ravens said in a statement.
“As this is a pending legal matter, we will not have further comment.”
Legal counsel for the former Minnesota college standout described the situation as a personal family matter that has been taken out of context.
“We will let the court process play out and the facts will come out at that time,” attorney Jordan Siev added.
Recent form and contract status
The Georgia native signed a three-year contract extension worth $37m (£29.2m) last year following a career-best return of 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
However, the pass-catcher experienced a significant drop in production during the subsequent campaign, finishing with a career-low 224 yards and two scores.
Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi and team-mate Ian Fray have been fined by Major League Soccer for striking opponents during a chaotic draw against Philadelphia Union.
The league announced on Friday that both players received undisclosed financial penalties for making contact with the head and neck area of rival players.
These separate incidents occurred deep into second-half stoppage time during Wednesday’s fiercely contested 2-2 stalemate.
Late drama leads to disciplinary action
The Argentine superstar was sanctioned after slapping Quinn Sullivan on the back of the neck as the pair exchanged heated words.
Despite the late altercation, the World Cup winner enjoyed a productive evening on the pitch by contributing a goal and an assist.
That strike carried deep emotional weight, marking his first goal since the recent passing of his father, Jorge.
Tensions boiled over entirely when Sullivan slipped inside the penalty area and became tangled with Fray.
Red card rescinded after review
The resulting fracas saw the Miami defender grab his opponent by the neck, prompting the Union midfielder to jump up and tackle him.
An off-the-ball scuffle then resulted in stoppage-time red cards being shown to Miami midfielder Yannick Bright and Sullivan’s younger brother, Cavan.
However, Major League Soccer has now confirmed the rescinding of Cavan Sullivan’s dismissal and subsequent one-match suspension.
An Independent Review Panel voted unanimously to overturn the sanction against the Philadelphia teenager.
Further league sanctions
In a separate ruling, the governing body also handed down a financial penalty to Minnesota United defender Anthony Markanich.
The full-back was fined for embellishment during his side’s 2-1 defeat to Atlanta United on the same evening.
Liverpool striker Alexander Isak is bracing for a fierce reception as he returns to St James’ Park to face former club Newcastle United this Sunday.
The Swedish international forced a bitter £125m move to Merseyside a year ago after effectively going on strike.
Both clubs have struggled in the aftermath of that protracted and controversial transfer saga.
Liverpool saw their expensive acquisition limited to just 22 appearances and four goals last season due to injury and poor form.
Meanwhile, the Magpies squandered their record windfall on forwards Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.
New managers seek a fresh start
The fallout from the transfer ultimately contributed to major managerial casualties at both Premier League clubs.
Eddie Howe departed Tyneside to be replaced by Matthias Jaissle, while Arne Slot was sacked by Liverpool following a disappointing campaign.
New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola is now tasked with unlocking the true potential of the 24-year-old attacker.
The Spanish boss insists he is entirely ignoring the well-documented struggles of the previous campaign.
“You have to be open-minded when you come to a new place and don’t be too affected by the things they tell you about what happened before.”
Andoni Iraola
“You have to try to understand the picture but I think everyone is willing to improve.”
The former Bournemouth manager added that he prefers to begin with a clean slate rather than dwell on past tactical failures.
Pre-season promise offers renewed hope
Former manager Slot had previously blamed the player’s lack of a proper pre-season for his dismal debut year.
However, the former Real Sociedad star has enjoyed a full and uninterrupted summer preparation this time around.
The towering frontman recently found the back of the net in a promising friendly performance against Monaco.
Now, the pressure is squarely on the £125m signing to rediscover the lethal form that previously produced exceptional Premier League goalscoring numbers.
Former two-time boxing world champion Zolani Tete has been shot dead in an ambush outside his home in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Police confirm fatal ambush
The 38-year-old was accompanied by a 27-year-old woman when two masked suspects opened fire as they waited outside the gates of his residence.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana confirmed the incident occurred at approximately 18:30 local time.
“In an attempt to escape the hail of bullets, the deceased drove his vehicle into the yard,” Gantana stated.
Authorities confirmed the South African fighter succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Search for suspects continues
Gantana reported that the female passenger sustained multiple gunshot wounds during the incident and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
She remains under medical care while an active police investigation gets underway.
“At this stage, no arrests have been made. The suspects fled the scene and are yet to be apprehended,” Gantana added.
A decorated but controversial career
During a successful professional career, the fighter claimed both the WBF flyweight and WBO bantamweight world titles.
His last appearance in the ring came in July 2022, when he defeated British boxer Jason Cunningham at Wembley Arena.
However, the southpaw had been absent from the sport recently after testing positive for the banned steroid stanozolol following that bout.
He was widely expected to make a return to competitive boxing in the near future before this fatal incident occurred.
Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson is expected to sign with the Miami Heat after agreeing a contract buyout with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.
The 36-year-old will officially join the Eastern Conference franchise upon clearing waivers this week.
He departs Dallas after two seasons, walking away from the final year of a contract that was due to pay him $17.5m (£13.7m).
Strengthening a new-look contender
Thompson prepares to bring elite perimeter shooting to a Miami roster newly built around blockbuster acquisition Giannis Antetokounmpo and star centre Bam Adebayo.
The veteran sharpshooter averaged 12.9 points per game and shot 38.7% from beyond the arc during his recent stint in Texas.
Despite a slightly reduced scoring role, the former Golden State star recently overtook Damian Lillard to rank fourth on the NBA’s all-time list for career three-pointers made.
Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri confirmed the buyout on Friday afternoon while paying tribute to the departing guard.
“Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization.”
“We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”
Moving on from previous setbacks
Prior to his 2024 arrival in Dallas, the five-time All-Star spent 13 decorated seasons with the Golden State Warriors.
His highly successful tenure in San Francisco yielded four NBA championships, though it was heavily disrupted by devastating Achilles and knee injuries that sidelined him for consecutive years.
Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra will hope his latest veteran addition can remain healthy and provide the crucial floor spacing required to maximise Antetokounmpo’s interior dominance.
Inter Milan have completed the signing of England midfielder Curtis Jones from Liverpool in a £30m deal that includes a 10% sell-on clause.
The 25-year-old departs Anfield after a 16-year association, having initially joined his boyhood club at the age of nine.
His transfer to Italy comes after entering the final 12 months of his contract on Merseyside.
A new chapter at San Siro
The versatile playmaker becomes the third England international to join Cristian Chivu’s squad during this transfer window.
He follows in the footsteps of national team colleagues John Stones and Djed Spence in making the switch to the Serie A giants.
During his time in the senior setup, the academy graduate amassed 228 appearances and scored 22 goals across all competitions.
He leaves having secured an impressive trophy haul that includes two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two Carabao Cups and the Club World Cup.
Midfield restructure for Iraola
Liverpool’s new head coach Andoni Iraola now faces a tactical reshuffle following the departure of a player who featured 49 times under predecessor Arne Slot last season.
The Basque manager is expected to deploy recent arrival Florian Wirtz in the number 10 role within his preferred 4-2-3-1 system.
This leaves established internationals Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch to battle for the two remaining deep-lying midfield positions.
Emerging academy talent Trey Nyoni and experienced midfielder Wataru Endo will also provide vital squad depth for the Premier League side.
The £30m generated from this sale could potentially be reinvested as the Anfield hierarchy looks to further strengthen their squad before the transfer deadline.