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40 updates01FootballPutellas debut as London City beat Man Utd in openerAlexia Putellas makes her London City Lionesses debut as the home side beat Manchester United 2-1 in the first game of the Women's Super League season.02TopWilliams sisters’ US Open return ends in heartbreak with third-set tie-break defeatAmerican duo lose 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(7) to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-chingSerena and Venus crash out of women’s doubles in first roundIn the end, after so much toil and admirable fight, defeat came swiftly for one of the greatest doubles teams to ever share a tennis court. Upon their return to prime time in New York, Venus and Serena Williams fought desperately to overturn the various deficits they found themselves in over three hours inside a thunderous Arthur Ashe Stadium.They came close. The Williams sisters had clawed their way back into the match after trailing a 1-4 in their final set against Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint, and they established a 5-0 lead in the third set tie-break. Just as they appeared to be on the verge of victory, they were brushed aside, losing 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7) in the first round of the US Open. Continue reading...03TennisWilliams sisters exit US Open but excite - what does future hold?Serena and Venus Williams may have lost in their US Open doubles return, but the veteran pair proved they can still compete on an entertaining night in New York.04BasketballBen Simmons handed NBA lifeline in one-year deal with Sacramento KingsAustralian returns on AU$4.9m contract after season on sidelinesFormer No 1 pick hopes to reignite basketball career with fourth clubAustralian former No 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons has taken a significant step towards resurrecting his NBA career, agreeing a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings.The Melbourne-born guard returns on a US$3.5m (AU$4.9m) contract after sitting out the entire 2025-26 campaign while rehabilitating back and leg injuries that have hampered him in recent years. Continue reading...05TennisSerena and Venus Williams suffer agonising US Open doubles defeatSerena and Venus Williams turn back the clock to defeat Maya Joint and Chan Hao-Ching in a US Open women's doubles first-round epic.06TopCameron Myers shines in star-studded field to win 1500m at Diamond League finalAustralian beats Olympic champs Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Cole HockerPole vaulter Kurtis Marschall soars over 5.82m to finish third in BrusselsMiddle-distance runner Cameron Myers has become only the eighth Australian to win a Diamond League final crown with victory in the men’s 1500m in Brussels.The 20-year-old claimed one of the biggest wins of his career to date as he beat a star-studded field that included Olympic champions Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Cole Hocker to continue his own meteoric rise. Continue reading...07TopGreaves becomes first woman to win match on European TourBeau Greaves makes darts history by beating Daryl Gurney at the Czech Open to become the first woman to win a match on the European Tour.08TennisImproving Alcaraz underlines title credentials in wide-open drawDefending champion Carlos Alcaraz underlines his US Open title credentials by sweeping aside Wu Yibing to reach the fourth round as the draw opens up further.09TennisImproving Alcaraz underlines title credentials in wide-open drawDefending champion Carlos Alcaraz underlines his US Open title credentials by sweeping aside Wu Yibing to reach the fourth round as the draw opens up further.10FootballIsak finally arrives as Gakpo proves value to LiverpoolHas the real Alexander Isak finally arrived at Liverpool after his two-goal display in their Premier League win at Ipswich Town, asks chief football writer Phil McNulty?11FootballRicharlison omission not my decision - De ZerbiTottenham Hotspur manager Roberto de Zerbi says it was not his decision to leave Richarlison out of the club's Premier League squad.12FootballRicharlison omission not my decision - De ZerbiTottenham Hotspur manager Roberto de Zerbi says it was not his decision to leave Richarlison out of the club's Premier League squad.13FootballJosé Mourinho sick as a Parrott as Real Madrid sunk by Real Betis and Irish supersubMbappé sees late penalty saved by VallesPSG are beaten by league leaders MonacoReal Madrid’s perfect start in La Liga ended on Friday when Real Betis beat them 1-0, with the substitute Troy Parrott scoring nine minutes from time and goalkeeper Álvaro Valles saving a stoppage-time penalty from Kylian Mbappé.The clash began at a high tempo but the pace dropped after the interval in the heat in Seville. The Republic of Ireland star Parrott, introduced in the 68th minute, broke the deadlock in the 81st when he reacted quickly after Thibaut Courtois parried a header into his path. Continue reading...14Tennis'It's so strong' - Sabalenka halts play over cannabis smellAryna Sabalenka briefly halts her US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova because of the smell of cannabis before going on to reach the fourth round.15Tennis'It's so strong' - Sabalenka halts play over cannabis smellAryna Sabalenka briefly halts her US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova because of the smell of cannabis before going on to reach the fourth round.16FootballParrott fires Real Betis to win over Real MadridTroy Parrott scores the only goal of the game and Kylian Mbappe misses an injury-time penalty as Real Betis beat Real Madrid 1-0 in La Liga.17FootballParrott fires Real Betis to win over Real MadridTroy Parrott scores the only goal of the game and Kylian Mbappe misses an injury-time penalty as Real Betis beat Real Madrid 1-0 in La Liga.18FootballHow London City proved they can live up to the hypeThere was an expectation on London City Lionesses to live up to the hype and deliver in the Women's Super League's season opener - and they did.19FootballFirst win as Liverpool boss 'feels good' - IraolaLiverpool head coach Andoni Iraola said it "feels good" to pick up his first victory in charge as his side beat Ipswich 2-0 at Portman Road.20TopLeigh seal top-six spot as St Helens fail to make play-offsLeigh Leopards secure a Super League top-six finish by thrashing St Helens, ending Saints' hopes of reaching the play-offs.21TopLeigh seal top-six spot as St Helens fail to make play-offsLeigh Leopards secure a Super League top-six finish by thrashing St Helens, ending Saints' hopes of reaching the play-offs.22Football'I thought we were excellent' - O'Neil on Liverpool defeatIpswich Town manager Gary O'Neil describes his team's performance as "excellent" despite their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Portman Road.23TennisUS Open tennis: Alcaraz beats Wu, Sabalenka, Pegula and Medvedev advance on day six – liveThe latest third-round updates from Flushing Meadows You can mail Billy and follow us on TikTok and BlueskyLeylah Fernandez has broken Pegula early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first. You might recall that Fernandez was Emma Raducanu’s opponent in the 2021 US Open final; since losing that match, the Canadian has only gone past the third round at a slam once (the 2022 French Open, where she made the quarter-finals) but has won five WTA Tour titles and is a consistent presence in the world’s top 30. So which career path would you prefer: hers or Raducanu’s?Sabalenka takes the first set 6-3, remaining dominant against an opponent who is playing decent stuff. Marta Kostyuk also claims the first set 6-3 over Alexandrova, while Sorana Cirstea has claimed the opener against Paolini by the same score. That feels like an upset, even though Cirstea is seeded higher – No 16 to Paolini’s 19. Continue reading...24Top‘Someone is smoking weed’: Sabalenka halts US Open match due to cannabis smell‘It’s tricky to handle when you’re trying to compete’Alcaraz into fourth round after straight sets victoryAryna Sabalenka briefly stopped her match at the US Open to complain about the strong smell of cannabis on her court as she comfortably reached the fourth round in New York.Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, continued her attempts to rebuild her form as she overcame a challenging test from Kamilla Rakhimova before winning 6-3, 6-4. Continue reading...25Top'Best bend I've ever run' - Hunt's strong season continues in BrusselsAmy Hunt's strong late-season form showed no signs of letting up as she clocked a season's best to finish third in the 200m at the Diamond League final in Brussels.26Top'Best bend I've ever run' - Hunt's strong season continues in BrusselsAmy Hunt's strong late-season form showed no signs of letting up as she clocked a season's best to finish third in the 200m at the Diamond League final in Brussels.27Top'Best bend I've ever run' - Hunt's strong season continues in BrusselsAmy Hunt's strong late-season form showed no signs of letting up as she clocked a season's best to finish third in the 200m at the Diamond League final in Brussels.28FootballIsak's early double gives Liverpool victory over IpswichAlexander Isak scores twice in the opening ten minutes as Liverpool pick up their first win of the season with a 2-0 victory at Ipswich.29FootballIsak's early double gives Liverpool victory over IpswichAlexander Isak scores twice in the opening ten minutes as Liverpool pick up their first win of the season with a 2-0 victory at Ipswich.30FootballIsak's early double gives Liverpool victory over IpswichAlexander Isak scores twice in the opening ten minutes as Liverpool pick up their first win of the season with a 2-0 victory at Ipswich.31FootballFA to canvass England players in World Cup reviewThe Football Association's review into England's World Cup campaign will canvass the opinions of players involved in the tournament.32FootballFA to canvass England players in World Cup reviewThe Football Association's review into England's World Cup campaign will canvass the opinions of players involved in the tournament.33TopSt Helens miss out on playoffs after Charnley news caps Leigh’s perfect nightLeigh 48-10 St HelensCharnley scores and agrees contract extensionIt ended not so much with a bang, but with a whimper. One of rugby league’s most extraordinary streaks has felt as though it was coming to an inevitable end for quite some time but as it transpired, St Helens’ 64-year run of making the playoffs ultimately concluded in a manner that summarises their fall from grace.You have to go back to 1962 to find an end-of-season playoff series that did not include one of rugby league’s true heavyweight clubs. In the Super League era, they have won 10 titles and were champions of the world as recently as 2023. But this, sadly, is a shadow of that side – and indeed that club. Continue reading...34Top'Recruitment's been SHOCKING!' - Wilkin and Jones-Buchanan on Saints' woesJon Wilkin and Jamie Jones-Buchanan assess the problems facing St Helens after their 48-10 defeat at Leigh saw them miss the Super League play-offs for the first time in the club's history, with recruitment and squad balance coming under scrutiny.35TopAmy Hunt left trailing by Julien Alfred in women’s 200m Diamond League finalBritish sprinter finishes third behind Olympic 100m championPole vault superstar Mondo Duplantis pulls out with injuryBritain’s Amy Hunt was given a jolting reminder of the gap between her and the world’s very best female sprinters as she finished nearly half a second behind Julien Alfred in the Diamond League 200m final.But afterwards Hunt insisted that coming third in a season’s best time of 22.16sec, on tired legs on a dank Brussels night, amounted to one of the better races of her career. Continue reading...36TopHunt runs season's best to take third in Diamond League 200mGreat Britain's Amy Hunt ran a season's best in the women's 200m at the final Diamond League event of the year as she took third place in Brussels.37FootballPapers: Chelsea offered chance to sign Bissouma as Fernandez replacementThe top stories and transfer rumours from Saturday's newspapers...38FootballIsak’s rapid double sinks Ipswich to give Andoni Iraola first Liverpool winA first win for Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool, the introduction of the latest star signing in Bradley Barcola making for a successful Friday night. Better yet, continuing signs that Alexander Isak, last year’s model, is coming back to life, his two, well-taken early goals securing the three points. That Cody Gakpo, Isak’s supplier, might have been at Manchester City or Tottenham had the transfer runes been right, added further to a sense of renewal. Liverpool’s attackers were full of the speed and invention sorely lacking for much of last season.Once Barcola arrived in the second half, those velocity levels increased yet further, Liverpool playing the attacking style, high on risk and entertainment, the appointment of Iraola promised. “We are starting to get to the way we want to play,” said Isak afterwards. Continue reading...39FootballBissouma was offered to Chelsea - Saturday's gossipChelsea were offered ex-Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma, Manchester City and Chelsea showed interest in Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, Arsenal are considering move for Barcelona's Raphinha, plus more.40TopHull KR secure top-six place with win over GiantsReigning Super League champions Hull KR make sure of their place in this season's play-offs with a dominant win over Huddersfield Giants.