Rybakina rips No.1 Sabalenka to book Cincinnati semi with Swiatek
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, claimed a fifth victory in her 12-match personal rivalry with the world number one. The victory was revenge for a loss to Sabalenka on Berlin grass two months ago.
Rybakina will play in a semi-final against Iga Swiatek, who defeated Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-4.
Third-seeded reigning Wimbledon champion Swiatek dominated to break fresh ground at one of the only two 1000-level tournament where she has failed to reach a final
Rybakina was helped by 11 aces as she upset Sabalenka to achieve her first Cincinnati semi-final.
"I'm happy with the serve. It was the key today," Rybakina said. "I served really well.
"If she had been serving well it would have been a totally different match. It was also intense from the baseline. I just hope to continue like this."
Rybakina has won her last three matches against Swiatek, all played this season.
The Kazakh held her nerve in the second set as Sabalenka delivered a pair of love games, with Rybakina saving a pair of break points with aces to lead by a set and 5-3.
Swiatek needed 93 minutes and five match points to get past Kalinskaya and earn revenge for a loss she took in February 2024 in a Dubai semi-final.
The former world number one finally moved into the Cincinnati final four on a steamy day after the 34th-ranked Kalinskaya saved four match points in the penultimate game.
But third seed Swiatek, enduring 30 Celsius temperatures, finally prevailed to advance to her fourth 1000-level semi-final of the season.
"We need to get used to the heat with how the world is changing," the winner of six Grand Slams said. "It's getting worse and worse, I guess."
Swiatek, who broke on three of 11 chances in the match, said the contest was "much different" from her loss last season against Kalinskaya.
"I just played my game. It was not easy but I'm happy that I stayed solid and kept my intensity," she said.
Swiatek heads into the semi-finals with 47 wins and the Wimbledon title in hand this season.
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New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
UFC 319 odds, predictions: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev headlines a stacked card
The UFC has thrown 15 fights at us for a massive UFC 319 slate, and I'm super excited to see the card play out this weekend. I'll be breaking down the main event between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title, as well as one other matchup below. (I'd prepped a preview of Battle vs. Ruziboev, but that fight was canceled on Friday.) Advertisement Let me know in the comment section below if there are any other fights you'd like to chat about. The moment is finally upon us, as Chimaev will challenge Du Plessis for the middleweight title. Chimaev has been a star since he entered the promotion and has been booked as a future title candidate for years now. I don't think many were expecting Du Plessis to be the sitting champion, but I do believe we will get a fun matchup for as long as it lasts. Chimaev is the dominant wrestling threat and is coming off a 3:34 victory over former champion Robert Whittaker. Many of Chimaev's matchups have been utterly dominant, and in six of his eight UFC bouts, he has allowed two or fewer significant strikes. There are a couple that have been competitive, though, against Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. Chimaev still won both. He traded on the feet against Burns with a heavy pace, and although he put up some solid offensive numbers, Burns lit him up as well and set career highs with his own offensive success. Against Usman, Chimaev won multiple rounds with takedowns and control, but only one of those rounds was clear. Otherwise, Usman was beating him at distance. If that had been a five-round fight, Usman likely would have won. From a macro view, I consider Chimaev to be relatively dependent on early finishes. I do think he can fight for an extended period, but I don't love his defense or his optics, and I would expect him to be far less effective and efficient if he were forced to fight for five rounds. Early on, though, he's a beast. He's one of the best wrestlers/grapplers in the sport, and he could probably take down every fighter in the division, which includes Du Plessis. From there, he can earn dominant control and finish the fight. Even on the feet, Chimaev has a ton of power. We've seen him top 100 significant strikes in three rounds. He's very dangerous. Advertisement Du Plessis has given me similar vibes of being less effective as the fight goes on, but he seems to have filled that hole in his game and has now gone the five-round distance multiple times without much issue. Du Plessis is also very well-rounded. He lands 6.12 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 4.90 per minute with a 54 percent defensive rate. He's got big power and takes shots pretty well. He also lands 2.55 takedowns per 15 minutes, while defending at 50 percent. He's not a special wrestler, but he's shown the ability to land takedowns and win rounds with his grappling. 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New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
Saturday's 11-game NFL preseason slate features Browns-Eagles, Jets-Giants. How to watch, odds
We'll continue tapping the sign: no injuries, no injuries, please, no injuries. We got it embossed with a cool typeface and everything. The outcomes of this weekend's preseason previews don't matter, so long as both sides leave without further medical hardship. If all goes right, Saturday's audience will get a light look at multiple new head coaches. Pete Carroll's Las Vegas Raiders host the second of four out-of-market TV games, while Aaron Glenn's New York Jets scrimmage against their crosstown rivals in the Meadowlands. Below is the broadcast info for all 11 games, plus training camp roundups and best 'fusion' players from each NFL Network matchup. Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub. Out-of-market fans can stream regional preseason games with an NFL+ subscription. The Browns got football fans all riled up last weekend, after Shedeur Sanders broke out in Charlotte for his unofficial NFL debut. 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Jakorian Bennett is also in the mix.' — Zach Berman 'Since the Eagles held [Saquon] Barkley out of team drills on a rest day, Will Shipley received the lion's share of reps with the first-team offense. The 2024 fourth-round pick built on what's already been a promising summer for him. Shipley's prowess as a pass-catcher is most notable. During an up-tempo red-zone series, Shipley kept his balance along the left sideline while snagging a throw from Hurts. On the next play, a simulated third down, Shipley separated from his coverage defender with a hard cut toward the left sideline and caught a first-down reception from Hurts.' — Brooks Kubena San Francisco held a 9-0 lead after the first quarter of its preseason opener. It ended up allowing 30 unanswered points to Denver. Mac Jones threw an interception and took two sacks while going 4-for-7. Fourth-round rookie Jordan Watkins looked good last time out; he promptly sprained his ankle and is now sidelined for a month. Pete Carroll made a quiet summer return to Seattle last weekend, and his Raiders tied the Seahawks at 23 apiece. Daniel Carlson stayed busy, at least, trying five field goals and making three of them (good from 56 and 51 yards out). Best player to wear both jerseys (by Approximate Value): Jerry Rice (216 AV with Niners, 32 with Raiders) 'When OTAs began, Tre Brown was the 49ers' top nickelback, and [Chase] Lucas was working with the third-stringers. Now that's reversed. Of course, the pecking order is skewed by the fact rookie Upton Stout, who seems most likely to start at nickel, is dealing with a minor calf issue. But Lucas has momentum, especially after a head-turning performance against Denver. Still, Brown has an advantage in terms of experience and versatility, and [Robert] Saleh made it clear Tuesday that to make the roster, Lucas must be more than a backup corner. That is, he must keep his momentum going.' — Matt Barrows Advertisement 'Without [Nick] Bosa and [Mykel] Williams, the 49ers defensive line wasn't able to get much traction on what could be an underrated Raiders offensive line. Left tackle Kolton Miller easily handled Bryce Huff, while guard Dylan Parham didn't have any trouble with the Raiders defensive tackles. One thing about rookie Alfred Collins, though. While he got off to a slow start and is still a work in progress, the 6-foot-6, 333-pound defensive tackle takes up a lot of space and often takes two offensive linemen to move him.' — Vic Tafur 'Toward the end of practice, receiver Tre Tucker started to find a groove. He got open during red zone drills for a quick touchdown. After struggling to move the ball during 11-on-11 drills, that period was easily the best for the Raiders' offense. [Geno] Smith also connected with Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty and [Jakobi] Meyers for touchdowns. Tucker caught another touchdown on a fade route during 11-on-11 drills toward the end of practice. The Raiders are going to need him to be more consistent — and get more from all their non-Meyers receivers — to have an effective passing attack this year.' — Tashan Reed Jaxson Dart was sharp in his first pro tuneup: 12 completions on 19 attempts, with a healthy 154 yards through the air and this six-point dime: Jaxson's FIRST‼️ 📺: NBC4/NFL Network — New York Giants (@Giants) August 9, 2025 Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito all led drives in the Giants' 34-25 win at Buffalo. They now host the Jets, who definitely enjoyed seeing new QB Justin Fields find the end zone on his lone drive last weekend. The Jets scored in all four quarters and won Glenn's preseason debut 30-10 up in Green Bay. Best player to wear both jerseys (by Approximate Value): Don Maynard (132 AV with Jets, 0 with Giants despite playing 12 games) Advertisement 'Rookie wide receiver Arian Smith had the play of the day for the Jets offense on Wednesday, high-pointing a deep throw from Adrian Martinez. Smith has been trending up since the start of camp and it's going to be hard for the Jets to keep him off the field, especially since he brings a speed element nobody else in the wide receiver room offers. He had a cornerback beat against the Packers in the preseason opener too, but Martinez overthrew him. The Jets don't have anyone outside of Garrett Wilson who strikes any sort of fear into an opposing secondary; Smith's ascension could help him earn a bigger role than expected.' — Zack Rosenblatt 'Jaxson Dart, again working exclusively with the second-team offense, completed 4 of 6 passes on a run-heavy day. The limited attempts made for few highlights. Dart's best pass was a deep connection with fellow rookie wide receiver Beaux Collins. After Dart's first read was covered, he went into scramble mode and signaled to Collins to run deep. Collins obliged and slipped behind the defense for an easy touchdown. Dart also scored a 12-yard touchdown on a zone-read keeper that fooled the Jets defense. He took off around left end with tight end Thomas Fidone leading the way against the lone Jets defender on that side of the field. Dart was sacked twice — once when an overload blitz got home immediately, and another time when Jets edge rusher Braiden McGregor didn't bite on a bootleg.' — Dan Duggan 'On the other field, the Giants defensive front carried over its domination from Tuesday, giving Jets quarterback Justin Fields and his offensive line plenty of problems. Camp stats are subjective, especially when it comes to sacks, but the Giants appeared to get to Fields for four sacks. Similar to Tuesday, there were moments when it was hard to tell exactly who was causing problems as the Giants sent multiple bodies in the backfield. Fields, who went 7-of-11 on the day, had a few overthrows on plays that likely were sacks. Outside linebacker Brian Burns especially stood out, notching at least one sack.' — Charlotte Carroll Arizona bested Kansas City last weekend by a 20-17 final. Kyler Murray completed seven of his eight passes, with one awkward misread going for a pick: EXCELLENCE IN EVERY PHASE 🔥 — Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 10, 2025 Third-year running back Bam Knight busted out on a 27-yard rush, and his backfield teammate Emari Demercado took a screen pass all the way to the house. On the other end, Bo Nix underwhelmed with Denver's starters in preseason Week 1, but Jarrett Stidham lit it up in relief. He wrapped up with a line of 14-of-15, 136 yards and two touchdowns. Best player to wear both jerseys (by Approximate Value): Charley Johnson (58 AV with Cardinals, 35 with Broncos; he just tops Jake Plummer, who totaled 92) 'Practice is a bit of a useful nightmare for [Jonathan] Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. Gannon's defense, which improved last season to 14th in DVOA from its bottom-of-the-league status in 2023, is in a way a reflection of [Drew] Petzing's offense. Many plays, including shifts and rotating coverages and a variety of pressures, come out of indiscernible pre-snap looks. It is a perfect creative playground against which [Trey] McBride can practice being anywhere, on any given play, and both sides are challenged in the process. Out of that spawns new ideas for all of the coaches.' — Jourdan Rodrigue Advertisement 'Bo Nix began the final period of Thursday's joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals — a got-to-have-it, hurry-up scenario — by targeting Courtland Sutton in the middle of the field. The pass was just off the mark, setting up a second down. Undeterred, Nix threw to Sutton again on the next play, this time hitting the veteran Broncos wide receiver for a first down with a tight throw along the sideline. Two plays later, Nix found Sutton once again on an out route. The pair hooked up for a first down on the next snap, too. By the time the Broncos finished the drive with the field goal they were chasing in the structured scenario, Nix and Sutton had completed an impressive, competitive practice for Denver's offense highlighting the connection between the second-year quarterback and his top target.' — Nick Kosmider All times ET Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams, 1 a.m. Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans, 3:30 a.m. New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings, 6 a.m. Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles, 9 a.m. Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys, 5 p.m. New York Jets at New York Giants, 8 p.m. Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Jaxson Dart: Bryan M. Bennett / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. 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New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
6 trends to watch for fantasy football: Preseason Week 2
In today's era of fantasy football, you can't afford to wait until potential trends become obvious signals. By the time everyone agrees these developments matter, the edge is gone — which is why I write this column. My goal is to help you spot trends before your competition, hopefully leading you to this year's league-winning pick, like Brock Bowers, Brian Thomas or Jayden Daniels last season. Advertisement Each week, I flag developing trends that might matter for fantasy football. Last Saturday, this column highlighted De'Von Achane's usage, Emeka Egbuka's opportunity and Isaac TeSlaa's flashes, estimating Achane's preseason ADP will drop slightly while Egbuka's and TeSlaa's will rise significantly. I'll review each developing trend after three weeks to improve my process and help you understand the value of this column, and because it was a popular addition to my 13 insights column from 2023. Unless otherwise noted, all stats are tailored to redraft, half-PPR, 1-QB leagues. Six things I learned this week: Rice might be my favorite pick in all of fantasy football, even if he ends up suspended for a few games (so long as it's less than four). The reason is obvious: Rice finished as the WR15 in points per game last season, despite playing just 6% of snaps in Week 4. In his first three, healthy weeks, Rice averaged 17.6 points per game as the focal point of Kansas City's offense. And he kept getting better, catching 12 of 14 targets for 110 yards and a touchdown in his third and final regular-season game. The 25-year-old suffered a brutal knee injury, also contributing to his depressed ADP, but I'm not at all worried after speaking with The Athletic's Chiefs beat reporter Jesse Newell. Here's what he said when I asked him about Rice's knee: 💬 Jesse: 'People around the Chiefs actually think Rice might have more explosiveness than he did pre-injury. And remember, Rice was off to a monster start for the Chiefs in 2024, with 24 catches for 288 yards in three and a half games before suffering his setback. 'When he's on the field, I fully expect Rice to be the Chiefs' No. 1 WR, as he's been quarterback Patrick Mahomes' favorite target by far in training camp. The Chiefs believe Rice still has more ceiling to show, and that should come this year (at some point) if he remains healthy.' Advertisement Favorite target. By far. More explosive than last year. I'm all in on Rice, whose 17.6 points per game would've ranked behind only Ja'Marr Chase across the entire season. A potential top-5 receiver at WR35?! That won't last, folks. Projected early-September ADP: 51 overall, WR24. And even that's still cheap for Rice, who I'd draft over Garrett Wilson. The Seahawks' 32-year-old slot receiver isn't an attractive pick, and I don't blame anyone for passing on him. After all, Kupp's finished as the WR41 and WR40, respectively, across the past two seasons, missing five games in each. His move to Seattle brings an obvious downgrade at quarterback and additional competition for slot targets from Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the league's most productive slot receiver last season. But I'd draft Kupp a round early, and you probably should, too. Here's why: 1.) The opportunity — As Michael Salfino aptly explained, 130 targets is a reasonable expectation for Kupp, given the absence of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. 2.) The skill — Beat reporter Michael-Shawn Dugar has made it clear: Kupp is not washed. 'Kupp gets open with elite quickness out of his breaks. This stands out when he's going against [corner Devon] Witherspoon, whose twitchiness is next level. Kupp has shown the mental and physical capacity to win his fair share of battles against one of the best.' Last season, Kupp finished WR22 on a points-per-game basis despite being phased out of the Rams' final three regular-season games, and fantasy points per game is the best metric for predicting a player's results the next season. So, sure, he might not stay healthy, but when Kupp is in your lineup, you're getting a top-25 receiver at a WR45 price tag. The latter will change as your leaguemates learn of Kupp's impressive training camp. I'd take Kupp over Jayden Reed, Rome Odunze and Jauan Jennings. Projected early-September ADP: 85 overall, WR39 Allen's ADP jumped when he signed with the Chargers, but not high enough. Concerns over his 2024 production, when he finished WR35, are overblown. The only person to blame for last season is former Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, whose scheme made life difficult for Caleb Williams and his receivers. In other words, this is still the same player who finished as WR8 overall with the Chargers in 2023, despite playing just 13 games. Allen is ready to pick up where he left off, as The Athletic's Chargers beat reporter Daniel Popper has written, with Allen already making his mark in practice. As for his position, like Kupp, the 33-year-old Allen finds himself competing for slot targets with a younger incumbent. I'd expect the Chargers to rotate him and Ladd McConkey, but give Allen more reps on the outside. Here's why that's a good thing: Also: Who else can Justin Herbert throw to? Jerry Rice's son? Come on, man! If the market fails to adjust, we should all benefit. I doubt we're this lucky for much longer. Projected early-September ADP: 91 overall, WR43 Godwin's injury offers the biggest points-per-game discount among all top players, as he's drafted a whopping 39 spots below his points per game rank among receivers last year (he finished WR2, yet is being drafted as WR42). The obvious reason is the uncertainty surrounding his ankle injury, which is justified after he had a second surgery in the spring and is likely to start the season on the PUP list. Advertisement Buccaneers beat reporter Rick Stroud shared GM Jason Licht's statements that Godwin is 'exactly where they anticipated and hoped he would be at this point,' but that 'We've still got a ways to go.' That risk is already baked into his price at WR42, so even if I have to replace Godwin in the early weeks, I'm targeting the 29-year-old who led the NFL in receptions, receiving touchdowns and yards after the catch before his injury. However, his ADP likely continues to fall as he misses more practice time, so I'd rather watch him fall to me than take him above his ADP. Projected early-September ADP: 98 overall, WR46 The Jets' best running back this offseason, Allen, has elevated to become 'one of the most impressive guys on the field over two days' of joint practices with the Jets, according to The Athletic's beat reporter Zack Rosenblatt. If Allen continues to impress, the Jets could tailor their offense to the 21-year-old RB in his second year. 'Braelon is a 240-pound man that's always falling forward,' said Aaron Glenn. 'I'm not just saying in short yardage, those downhill runs, it's going to weigh on defensive players, and when you continue to do that, you just create something as far as a team, as far as an identity, that this league will take notice of, and I'm looking forward to that.' While Breece Hall remains the starter and should see more work in the passing game, I expect the 50/50 nature of this split to become more evident as we approach the regular season. Allen has been a star in training camp, running behind a much-improved offensive line, catching dump-offs from Justin Fields and pairing well with Fields in a run-heavy offense. Projected late-August ADP: 115 overall, RB38 Here's a secret from Browns camp: Fannin looks like a potential No. 2 option in their passing game. Despite leading college football in receiving yardage last year, the 21-year-old remains a hidden gem at the tight end position. This caught my eye in Zac Jackson's training camp report: 'Fannin is ahead of schedule, even if (Kevin) Stefanski won't directly say it. And after the rookie tight end dropped a touchdown pass from Flacco on the second play of practice Thursday, Fannin responded by catching the next one — and later scoring again on a deep corner route from Gabriel. 'Fannin is going to line up all over the formation, and he's absolutely going to be involved in the offense.' .@_dillongabriel_ deeeeeep ➡️ @fannin_jr ➡️ end zone — Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 14, 2025 Undrafted everywhere but the deepest of leagues, Fannin's currently listed as the TE47 in ESPN's ADP, behind names like Mitchell Evans (?) and Brock Wright (!). He should easily beat that in a Browns offense expected to feature two tight ends, with David Njoku potentially taking more blocking snaps. Projection: Remains free, finishes as a top-20 tight end. To be reviewed in two weeks. (Photo of Rashee Rice: Denny Medley / Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
