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Sinner routs Auger-Aliassime to reach semis

Sinner routs Auger-Aliassime to reach semis

BBC News9 hours ago
World number one Jannik Sinner crushed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-0 6-2 to cruise into the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.Auger-Aliassime had won both their previous encounters in 2022, and Sinner appeared to take exception to this as he quickly went about rectifying his record against the Canadian.The Italian, who has won four Grand Slams since the pair last met in a match at this tournament three years ago, bageled Auger-Aliassime as he took the first set in just 27 minutes. A stunned Auger-Aliassime served back-to-back double faults to concede an opening set in which he only managed to win nine points.The world number 28 finally got on the scoreboard when a Sinner double fault - after which the 23-year-old was seen briefly walking in gingerly fashion - handed him the first game of the second set.Auger-Aliassime followed that by holding serve for the first time to go 2-0 up, but that was as good as it got for the 25-year-old.
Defending champion Sinner took the first of three break points in the fourth game with a superb backhand down the line to level at 2-2.He then reeled off the next four games, with another Auger-Aliassime double fault on match point securing victory in 71 minutes."I felt like I was returning very well," said Sinner. "That was my key point, which gave me the confidence to serve well. "I had a small drop in the second set when he broke me. I'm happy I broke him back quite early. I felt like I was performing some great tennis."Sinner will next face either Dane Holger Rune or French qualifier Terence Atmane.
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Before series with Brewers, Cubs host lowly Pirates
Before series with Brewers, Cubs host lowly Pirates

Reuters

time24 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Before series with Brewers, Cubs host lowly Pirates

August 15 - The Chicago Cubs return home Friday for a pivotal week-long, eight-game homestand that includes a series with the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers. Before the National League Central leaders pay a visit, however, the Cubs will host the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs on Thursday completed a 2-4 road trip against the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays, ending with a 2-1 loss in Toronto on Thursday when a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. two-run home run in the seventh erased the Cubs' lead. Colin Rea (9-5, 4.09 ERA) hopes to carry over his strong outing from last Saturday as he takes the mound for the Cubs in the Friday afternoon series opener. The right-hander allowed one run over six innings in a 9-1 victory at St. Louis. He gave up three hits and two walks while striking out six in the only game Chicago won in that series. The 35-year-old journeyman sports a 3-3 record and a 5.49 ERA in nine career games (seven starts) against Pittsburgh. However, he has fared better of late. In two starts against Pittsburgh earlier this season, Rea held the Pirates to just two runs on four hits over six innings in each game. He earned the win in an 8-3 victory on May 1 but garnered a no-decision six weeks later as the Cubs won 3-2 in 10 innings. The Cubs have lost six of their last nine games primarily due to the team's struggles at the plate. They have scored just seven runs and managed only 32 hits in those defeats. Four of those hits were homers, including one by Michael Busch in Thursday's loss. "We had a bunch of warning-track balls, but just couldn't get an inning going, really at all," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after Thursday's loss. Pittsburgh comes to Chicago having lost five straight. That includes being swept by the Brewers in Milwaukee in three games earlier this week by a combined score of 33-6. The offense did show signs of breaking out in Wednesday's 12-5 loss, however. Five players had multiple hits as part of the team's 12-hit attack. The Pirates managed only seven during the first two games. Designated hitter Bryan Reynolds blasted a pair of homers and drove in all five runs as part of a 3-for-4 performance on Wednesday. Pirates interim manager Don Kelly said after Wednesday's defeat that he appreciated the effort from his batters. "We continue to battle, continue to have good at-bats -- even there into the ninth inning, we had good at-bats," he said. "We need to carry that over to Chicago. It's going to be a tough series there, but I'm looking forward to playing at Wrigley." No official starter has been named by the Pirates though multiple outlets indicated Braxton Ashcraft (3-2, 3.19) would make his third start this season. The rookie, 25, started Saturday in a 2-1 home loss to Cincinnati. His 3 1/3 innings were a season high. He gave up a run on three hits and a walk while striking out five. Ashcraft did pitch in Wrigley Field when the Pirates last visited two months ago. He threw two perfect innings in a 2-1 loss on June 14. He did not get a decision in the game. Chicago has won five of the first seven games in the season series. After this weekend, the Cubs will play the Pirates three more times a month from now at Pittsburgh. --Field Level Media

MLB roundup: Max Scherzer pitches Blue Jays past Cubs
MLB roundup: Max Scherzer pitches Blue Jays past Cubs

Reuters

time26 minutes ago

  • Reuters

MLB roundup: Max Scherzer pitches Blue Jays past Cubs

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Albies was 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs for the Braves, who have won six of eight. Michael Harris II was also 3-for-4 with a run-scoring double in the eighth. The eighth-inning rally made a winner of Bryce Elder (5-9), who gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits over seven innings. Francisco Lindor was 3-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored for the Mets, who fell to 2-10 this month. Brandon Nimmo lofted a game-tying sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Pete Alonso followed with a go-ahead RBI single. Tigers 4, Twins 3 (11 innings) Gleyber Torres delivered a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning and Riley Greene hit a two-run homer to lead Detroit over Minnesota in Minneapolis. Tigers reliever Rafael Montero (1-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Kerry Carpenter and Javier Baez each had two hits as Detroit won for the fourth time in five games. Edouard Julien homered and singled for the Twins, who have lost three out of four. Erasmo Ramirez (0-1) gave up the decisive unearned run in the 11th. Nationals 3, Phillies 2 Jose Tena connected for a two-run single in the seventh to help Washington rally to beat visiting Philadelphia. Nationals starter Brad Lord gave up two runs on seven hits in six innings. Reliever Shinnosuke Ogasawa (1-1) got the final out of the seventh, the lone batter he faced, to earn the win. Cole Henry threw a scoreless ninth for his first save. The Phillies have lost three in a row. Starter Jesus Luzardo (11-6) allowed three runs on four hits in six innings. He started the seventh, issuing two walks and a hit before he was replaced by Orion Kerkering, who got one out before Tena's hit. Guardians 9, Marlins 4 Gabriel Arias drove in two runs, Jose Ramirez scored three times and had three hits, and Tanner Bibee won his fifth straight as Cleveland rallied to beat visiting Miami. Arias' go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth brought home Ramirez with the go-ahead run, three innings after he brought him home with a groundout after Miami took a 3-0 lead. Ramirez also scored in the seventh and moved past Kenny Lofton into third place in Cleveland history with 977 runs. The Guardians moved within one-half game of the New York Yankees for the third and final American League wild-card spot. Bibee (9-9) worked 5 2/3 innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits. Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (6-6) allowed five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander had been 3-1 with a 1.40 ERA in his previous four starts. Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 2 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jose Herrera homered, Eduardo Rodriguez tossed a season-high seven innings, and Arizona beat Colorado in Denver. Geraldo Perdomo and Alek Thomas had two hits each for Arizona, which has won six of its last seven and is 9-4 in August. Rodriguez (5-7) kept Colorado hitters off balance for most of his outing, permitting one run on six hits. His only mistake was a changeup to Kyle Farmer leading off the fifth inning that ended up in the left field stands. Farmer finished with three hits, Brenton Doyle also went deep among his two hits and Tyler Freeman also had two hits for Colorado. The Rockies, who had their two-game winning streak snapped, have lost eight of their 10 games against the D-backs this season. --Field Level Media

Chiefs coach Andy Reid stays tight-lipped as Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift engagement rumors continue to swirl
Chiefs coach Andy Reid stays tight-lipped as Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift engagement rumors continue to swirl

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Chiefs coach Andy Reid stays tight-lipped as Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift engagement rumors continue to swirl

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was quick to shut down any talk of wedding bells between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift this week. The legendary NFL coach is prepping for another season at the helm in KC, but this week has been dominated by talk of his star tight end's off-field love life, after Swift's internet-breaking appearance on the New Heights podcast. Last week, Reid himself fueled speculation that the pair are engaged when he opened up on the stories he would tell at the wedding, but this week he remained tight-lipped when questioned again about the potential of their marriage. Speaking to Kay Adams on her 'Up and Adams' show on FanDuel, the host told Reid: 'You're looking lean here today... did you have to get the tux taken in for Travis' wedding?' Reid then immediately laughed off the comment, simply stating: 'Ha... yeah, yeah, yeah... no, I hear you, I hear you.' It isn't clear whether Kelce has had a quiet word in his coach's ear after last week's comments, in which he was happy to speak more about their hypothetical nuptials. Coach Andy Reid with a shutdown defensive performance of the lifetime. 🤐 Travis Kelce. Taylor Swift. A swing & a miss from yours truly 😂 😂 — Kay Adams (@heykayadams) August 13, 2025 'Well there are a few I can't tell,' Reid told Kansas City sports radio's 96.5 The Fan with Fescoe and Dusty when asked which stories he would tell at the reception. 'No, there are a lot of great stories,' continued Reid. 'He's done so many good things, all the things he's done off the field that people don't know about, just helping people out. He's got a big heart that way.' Wednesday saw Swift and Kelce quite literally break the internet, when the latest episode of New Heights crashed with 1.3million tuning in live. It is just the latest high in a remarkable two-year relationship between the world's most famous couple, and Swift used it to reveal her 12th studio album. On the episode, Kelce and Swift could hardly keep their hands off each other, with the Chiefs tight end holding her hand, and kissing her head as she spoke through the emotions of buying back her music. At the end of the show, the pair shared a romantic kiss, sending Swifties wild as they watched the love story continue to blossom in front of their eyes. They have enjoyed a quiet few months in the wake of Swift's Eras Tour coming to an end, but attention for Kelce is now turning to another NFL season - and it could well be his last. Kansas City open the season with a Week 1 trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to face the Los Angeles Chargers. It remains to be seen whether Swift makes the trip south to cheer on her man once more.

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