Oct 5, 2025; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Fans wearing the jerseys of Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) at the White Hart Lane overground station prior to a NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings are over the cap by about $50 million right now, so roster cuts are basically inevitable — even for big-name veterans. And according to CBS Sports, tight end T.J. Hockenson could be on his way out.
Hockenson’s 2025 dip came with blocking-heavy usage and shaky QB play, and Minnesota would need a real plan to replace his snaps and targets.
Joel Corry predicted the highest-profile NFL trades and roster cuts for the upcoming offseason this week, and Hockenson got the nod as a cut casualty.
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Cutting Hockenson Might Be in Play, but the Vikings Would Need a Replacement
Say it ain’t so on Hockenson.
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson powers forward after a catch while being closed on by Atlanta defender Billy Bowman Jr., with the play unfolding on Sep 14, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Hockenson’s after-the-catch strength helped Minnesota sustain drives as the offense searched for consistency. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Corry’s Prediction: A Roster Cut for Hockenson
Hockenson’s cap number is just over $21 million in 2026. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could restructure that, but Corry, a former NFL agent, forecasted a release.
“Hockenson production has significantly declined since having 95 catches for 960 yards with five touchdowns before tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee 15 games into the 2023 season,” he wrote.
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“In the two seasons after the knee injury, Hockenson has 92 catches for 893 yards and three touchdowns in 19 games. Hockenson averaged a career-low 29.2 receiving yards per game this season.”
The move would save Minnesota up to $16 million if assigned a post-June 1st designation.
Why the Cut?
Hockenson basically got reassigned in 2025. Minnesota’s offensive line spent the season bleeding bodies, and Kevin O’Connell responded by quietly turning Hockenson into OL support. By midseason, O’Connell admitted the role shift out loud, even as the box score kept telling a misleading story about Hockenson’s receiving production.
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That story ended with 51 catches, 438 yards, and three touchdowns — pedestrian numbers that invited lazy conclusions from a few fans. Minnesota’s quarterback carousel certainly didn’t help. J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer never stabilized the passing game, dragging down every receiver not named Jalen Nailor.
Left tackle Christian Darrisaw returned in September from a torn ACL, but something was off. To compensate, Hockenson became the OL insurance policy. Fans noticed Hockenson’s stat dip and jumped to the wrong takeaway: decline.
The overall reality hasn’t moved much. Hockenson turns 28 this season. His skill set still exists. He just needs passing-game targets. Put Hockenson in an offense that treats him like a route-runner instead of drywall, and see what happens.
A to Z Sports‘ Mike Payton even claimed a couple of weeks ago that Hockenson could return to the Detroit Lions, the team that drafted him seven years ago.
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He explained, “Right now, the Lions don’t need a second Pro Bowl tight end; they need depth badly. When LaPorta and Brock Wright went down with injuries, the Lions were playing guys like Anthony Firkser and Giovanni Ricci — players you probably won’t see in Detroit again. What Hockenson can bring at this juncture is a pretty good pass-blocking tight end who has the ability to be another target in the pass game.”
“A target that we already know Jared Goff trusts. In fact, he might have trusted him too much in 2021. It was like a security blanket that year. Having built in trust goes a long way. We saw what that looked like when Josh Reynolds got here. Goff and Reynolds just got right back to work like they never stopped playing with each other.”
Replacement Options
In-house, the Vikings would have these TE options if they don’t directly replace Hockenson from free agency or the draft:
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— Josh Oliver — Ben Yurosek — Gavin Bartholomew
For now, none is a TE1. Therefore, the free-agent market would look like this for Minnesota:
Austin Hooper
Cade Otton
Chig Okonkwo
Dallas Goedert
David Njoku
Isaiah Likely
Jake Tonges
Kyle Granson
Kyle Pitts
Noah Fant
Tyler Conklin
Tyler Higbee
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson goes through his pregame routine along the sideline ahead of kickoff on Oct 15, 2023, at Soldier Field in Chicago. The warmup scene reflected Minnesota’s offensive focus entering a divisional matchup, with Hockenson preparing for a featured role in the passing game. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports.
Minnesota could, in theory, also use its 18th overall pick in April’s draft on Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq.
Other Splashy Cut Theories
In addition to Hockenson, a few more cuts might make sense as the Vikings navigate the nearly $50 million salary cap deficit. Some examples:
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Javon Hargrave (DT)
Aaron Jones (RB)
Ryan Kelly (C)
Releasing Hargrave, Hockenson, Jones, and Kelly would free up around $40 million in cap space. It’s also worth noting that Kelly could retire after suffering three concussions in 2025.
Hargrave played decently at times this season, but may not be worth the squeeze in 2026, especially if Minnesota uses a Round 1 pick on a defensive tackle like Clemson’s Peter Woods. And Jones will turn 32 next season, well past the prime of a running back.
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson gestures toward the stands after a second-half sequence on Nov 17, 2024, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. The acknowledgment came during a tight road contest, capturing Hockenson’s connection with traveling fans as Minnesota tried to control tempo against Tennessee. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.
Finally, all the cut candidates, Hockenson included, are eligible for contractual restructures. Adofo-Mensah could realistically move money around for any of these men and keep them on the 2026 roster.
Hockenson would have no problem finding an NFL home if CBS Sports has this theory right. He has not hit an age-related wall.
The Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday for the first of two races this season, with the 2026 Pennzoil 400 taking place at 4 p.m. ET. Joey Logano and Kyle Larson have won half of the last 14 NASCAR at Las Vegas races, but Tyler Reddick claimed the first three races of this season. However, Ryan Blaney enters the Pennzoil 400 2026 as the Cup Series’ most recent victor, courtesy of prevailing in Phoenix a week ago. NASCAR at Las Vegas 2026 will be contested over 267 laps on a 1.5-miles tri-oval track.
Larson is the +450 favorite, per the latest 2026 NASCAR at Las Vegas odds, followed closely by Christopher Bell (+550). Reddick is at +750, as is two-time Vegas winner Denny Hamlin. Bubba Wallace is a +2000 longshot to utilize in Pennzoil 400 bets despite three top 10s this season. Before making any 2026 Pennzoil 400 picks or NASCAR at Las Vegas predictions, you need to see the projected leaderboard from Mike McClure’s proven model.
McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every lap of NASCAR action 10,000 times. All told, the model has nailed a whopping 29 winners since 2021 and hit 11 winners in 2025. Anyone following his NASCAR betting picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.
For NASCAR at Vegas 2026, McClure is fading Reddick, predicting he doesn’t even finish in the top 5 after prevailing at each of the first three races of the season. Reddick had three straight top-8 finishes at Vegas with Richard Childress before linking up with 23XI Racing. However, he wasn’t able to maintain that momentum, placing 15th in his first NASCAR Vegas start with Michael Jordan’s team, and Reddick has finished 24th or worse in two of his last three Vegas starts. Also, none of Reddick’s three victories in 2026 came at intermediate tracks like what he’ll see on Sunday. He’s winless over his last 10 starts at 1.5-mile intermediate tracks, with more finishes outside the 15 (four) than inside the top 5 (three).
Another surprise: Chase Elliott, a +1600 longshot, makes a strong run this week. The 2020 Cup Series champ is off to a strong start, sitting in fourth place in the 2026 NASCAR standings. He’s yet to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but is not entirely absent of success there. He has three top 5s at the track over his career, along with three stage victories. Elliott also has the backing of one of the most successful teams in history at Las Vegas as Hendrick Motorsports has 10 victories at the track. See which other drivers the model is backing at SportsLine.
Thanks to Endrick’s lucky goal in the final minutes of the game, Lyon still have a chance of qualifying for the Europa League quarter-finals when they play at home next week. Meanwhile, Lille conceded a goal against Aston Villa and now need a miracle to continue their European adventure.
In other sports news, Armand Duplantis added another centimetre to his pole vault world record, clearing 6.31 metres in Sweden to break his own mark. In rugby, the French XV are preparing to face England in the traditional ‘Crunch’ match, marking its 120th anniversary this year. It’s a must-win game for France, who are looking to bounce back after last week’s defeat in Scotland.
LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic had 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, LeBron James added 18 points in his return after missing three games because of injuries and the Los Angeles Lakers used a strong third quarter to defeat the Chicago Bulls 142-130 on Thursday night.
Doncic scored 50 points for the first time as a Laker following the blockbuster trade that sent him from Dallas to Los Angeles in February 2025. It was Doncic’s 13th 40-point game in 82 appearances for Los Angeles, moving into ninth in franchise history.
Austin Reaves chipped in with 30 points, Deandre Ayton had 23 points and 10 rebounds for his 20th double-double of the season, and the Lakers’ four-game winning streak is their longest since running off seven in a row Nov. 14-30.
Los Angeles moved ahead of the idle Houston Rockets into third place in the Western Conference.
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Josh Giddey scored 27 points and Matas Buzelis had 22 for the short-handed Bulls, who have alternated wins and losses over their past six games following 11 straight losses in February.
James started off sluggish after being sidelined by a right hip contusion and arthritis in his left foot, picking up his only points of the first half on a layup and free throw for a three-point play with 54 seconds remaining. The sequence sparked James, 41, and he made all five of his shots from the field in the third quarter to finish with 11 points in the period.
Giddey and Buzelis combined to go 10 for 20 from 3-point range, finding their shot in the second quarter and keeping the Bulls in striking distance for most of the game. Chicago ended up 15 for 36 from deep.
VANCOUVER — All he wanted to do when he came to the Vancouver Canucks was win because, really, that’s all Jake DeBrusk had done in his first seven National Hockey League seasons with the Boston Bruins. Mostly, all he has done since he got here is lose.
So when DeBrusk, after his lowest ice time this season, was able to flip a forehand under the crossbar in the shootout to give the Canucks a stunning 4-3 win Thursday against the Nashville Predators, the 29-year-old winger was able to enjoy a rare moment of satisfaction knowing that he had actually helped his team win.
“Yeah, it feels rare,” he smiled. “I’ve had a couple chances in the shootouts with that move; I’ve hit, like, three posts or three cross bars, something like that. So it was nice to see it actually work for once and, yeah, it feels good. Any way that I can help feels awesome.”
Signed to a seven-year free-agent contract by the Canucks two summers ago largely for his 86-game playoff resume, DeBrusk was among names of veteran Vancouver players being tossed like confetti in trade conjecture ahead of last Friday’s NHL deals deadline.
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He told PostMedia last week that he was “not built for rebuilds,” a remark reflecting frustration that DeBrusk quickly walked back the next day.
But the agony of this season on the Canucks’ handful of senior players has been obvious. Instead of playing for a Stanley Cup, they’re expected to lead the academy of prospects the organization is amassing for its rebuild.
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“It is what it is, you know,” DeBrusk said. “Mentally, I mean, it’s not easy for anybody. Nights like tonight, we can celebrate a little win. Obviously, it hasn’t been as many times as we’re all used to. But yeah, mentally, it’s been the hardest year of my career. This year, it seems like it’s just not (my year). I think I’ve talked enough about it, but it really does hit home. At the same time, you’ve still got a job to do.
“You’re playing in the best league in the world. Doesn’t matter if you get five minutes, 15 minutes or 20, if we win a game — as I’ve said since I’ve been here — I don’t care.”
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Thursday’s win was just the seventh in 32 home games for the Canucks. Let that sink in a minute.
DeBrusk, who scored 28 goals last season, has just 14 in 64 games this season, only three of them at even strength. The Edmontonian has played one less game than the Canucks because coach Adam Foote healthy-scratched him Dec. 29 in Seattle.
DeBrusk has one goal in his last 13 games, two in his last 22. Playing on the fourth line Thursday, he saw just 9:53 of ice time in regulation and made a coverage mistake on the first Nashville goal as the Predators built a 3-1 lead.
But after Marco Rossi scored on a rebound for Vancouver with 4:05 remaining in the third period, and Filip Hronek tied it 3-3 with a top-corner bullet at six-on-five with a minute to go, Foote gave DeBrusk two shifts in overtime. Then he sent out the veteran to score the only goal of the shootout against Juuse Saros.
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“You’ve just got to be a good pro and just be yourself,” DeBrusk said. “You’re human and you can show that, too. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with being disappointed in your play, and if you’re not doing well, try to respond. I’ve already been a healthy scratch. The response maybe hasn’t been what I wanted or what we’ve wanted as a team. But what am I going to do? (Former Boston captain) Patrice Bergeron used to say ‘every shift is a gift.’ Dude, I’m lucky to be out there.”
Besides Hronek and DeBrusk, another of the veteran leaders remaining in Vancouver, Brock Boeser, scored the Canucks’ first goal.
All of the younger players are watching them.
“You can’t imagine what they’re going through personally,” rookie defenceman Zeev Buium, one of 12 skaters Foote used in overtime, said of the Canuck elders. “Their expectation was probably to go to the playoffs and try to make a push and, obviously, things changed a lot for them. I mean, they were in Game 7 (of the second round) two years ago, right? You probably think you’re contending for a Cup this year. A lot has changed.
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“But I just think those guys have been great. I mean, Fil, J.D. (DeBrusk), all of them, I mean, they’re there for us. I think they’re trying to set a culture here that, you know, needs to be in place for now and forever, and I think they’re doing a great job of it. Things haven’t been easy, but to get wins like this, they mean a lot to us.”
A declining Nashville team loaded with veterans lost to a young Vancouver team that is hopelessly at the bottom of the overall standings.
Obviously, the Canucks don’t want to be there beyond this season. A comeback win like Thursday against a Predators team still desperately trying to make the playoffs helps fuel hope.
“This starts with the guys getting together, caring about each other and doing it for the guy next to you,” Buium said. “After the last couple of weeks, just with everything going on, after the deadline everything kind of calmed down and we were able to focus on each other. I think that kind of showed out there tonight. You could tell that we weren’t going to give up on each other. It was pretty cool to see the place explode when Fil scored.”
Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Martin Bakole are all being targeted by a world-ranked heavyweight contender, with Bakole representing a particularly “personal” option.
The 34-year-old has not fought since his controversial draw with Efe Ajagba in May, when many believed he should have been handed a points defeat.
It was back in 2022, though, that the Congolese giant claimed arguably a more surprising upset victory by edging a majority decision against Tony Yoka.
Back then, this was considered little more than a development fight for Yoka, who had crafted an unbeaten record after claiming gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
After losing to Bakole, though, the Frenchman later suffered split decision defeats to Carlos Takam and Ryad Merhy, before reigniting his career with four wins on the bounce.
Now gearing up to face former world cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie at the Adidas Arena, Paris, on April 25, the 33-year-old hopes to eventually exact his revenge on Bakole.
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Speaking with Playbook Boxing, Yoka – who is of Congolese descent – named Bakole, Joshua and Fury as three potential opponents after his clash with Okolie.
“I need to beat Bakole – that’s personal. That’s the first fight I lost, we’re both from the same country [The Democratic Republic of the Congo] and we need to make that happen over there, in Kinshasa.
“So I need to beat Bakole first, then I would love to fight Anthony. That would be a great fight, just because it would be so big – especially in my country [France]. It would be two Olympic gold medallists fighting in a stadium.
“And why not Tyson Fury? Tyson Fury’s one of the greatest [heavyweight] boxers ever. He’s so strange, but also he’s just too good.”
It is yet to become clear who Joshua will face in his comeback fight, which has been slated for July by Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.
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Fury, meanwhile, will face Arslanbek Makhmudov at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11 after ending his year-long retirement in January.
The Indian women’s hockey team delivered a commanding 4–1 victory over Wales in their Pool B clash at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Qualifiers 2026 in Hyderabad, confirming their place in the upcoming FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup.
Star forward Navneet Kaur stole the spotlight with a brilliant hat-trick, while Sakshi Rana opened the scoring at the G. M. C. Balayogi Hockey Stadium on Wednesday evening. With the emphatic win, India not only finished strongly in the pool stage but also secured qualification for the global event set to be held next year in Belgium and the Netherlands.
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India Start Strong Against Wales
India began the match with intensity, overwhelming Wales with aggressive pressing and quick attacking moves.
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The breakthrough came in the 7th minute when Salima Tete surged down the right flank and set up Sakshi Rana, who unleashed a powerful reverse hit from the edge of the circle to give the hosts a 1–0 lead.
Wales attempted to respond midway through the second quarter but Indian goalkeeper Bichu Devi produced a crucial save to deny their first penalty corner opportunity.
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Just before halftime, Navneet Kaur doubled India’s advantage. The forward converted a penalty corner with a precise low drag-flick in the 29th minute, sending India into the break with a comfortable 2–0 lead.
Navneet Kaur Leads the Charge
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Navneet continued her outstanding performance in the second half. She added her second goal with another penalty corner conversion, extending India’s lead to 3–0 and firmly putting the hosts in control of the contest.
The Indian attack maintained relentless pressure, with players like Sunelita Toppo combining effectively with Sakshi Rana to stretch the Welsh defence.
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Wales Show Brief Resistance
Wales managed to pull one goal back in the 39th minute through Betsan Thomas, who capitalized on a counterattack and slotted the ball home from a tight angle.
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The visitors briefly threatened to close the gap further but India quickly regained control of possession and territory.
In the final quarter, Wales had a chance to reduce the deficit after earning a penalty stroke, but the attempt was missed.
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Navneet Kaur then wrapped up the match in style by converting a penalty stroke in the 55th minute, completing her hat-trick and sealing India’s dominant 4-1 victory.
India Secure Top Spot in Pool B
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The win ensured that India finished top of Pool B in the Hyderabad qualifiers. Importantly, it also helped the hosts avoid a potential semifinal clash with England, giving them a more favorable route as the knockout stages approach.
Head coach Joerd Marijne had earlier stressed the need for improved finishing following India’s 2–2 draw against Scotland, and the team responded with a clinical attacking display against Wales.
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India will now face Italy in the semifinals as they aim to secure a place in the final of the qualifiers.
How India qualified for the Women’s Hockey World Cup before semis?
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Qualification for the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup is being determined through two separate qualifying tournaments, each featuring eight teams, making 16 teams in total competing for seven World Cup spots.
The first qualifying event in Santiago, Chile, has already concluded, with Chile, Australia, and Ireland confirming their World Cup places.
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The Hyderabad qualifiers provide three automatic spots for the teams that finish in the top positions.
The seventh and final spot is reserved for the highest-ranked team (in the FIH World Rankings) that finishes fourth in either tournament.
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In the Santiago event, Japan, currently ranked No. 15 in the world, finished fourth. India, however, are ranked No. 9 in the world.
Because of this ranking gap, India would have to suffer a massive points drop from losing their remaining matches to fall below Japan in the rankings, a scenario that is mathematically impossible. As a result, India secured their World Cup qualification even before the semifinals of the Hyderabad event.
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A boost ahead of the global stage
India’s dominant performance, highlighted by Navneet Kaur’s hat-trick, not only secured a convincing win but also confirmed their participation in the next Women’s Hockey World Cup.
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With momentum on their side and a semifinal clash against Italy ahead, the Indian team will now aim to carry this form forward as they prepare for the biggest stage in international women’s hockey.
Cradle Breaches are a new gameplay feature added in Warzone Black Ops Royale as a part of the latest update. These are basically hotspot areas on the Avalon map where players can find high-tier loot and take part in some activities during a match. The zones are dangerous as they spawn zombies, powerfulbosses, and real opponents. If you manage to complete the activities, you can earn various rewards, including Exotic Weapons and Armors.
Read on to know more about Cradle Breaches in Warzone Black Ops Royale.
Cradle Breaches in Warzone Black Ops Royale: Explained
Cradle Breaches are the new hotspot locations in Warzone Black Ops Royale that offer high-risk, high-reward gameplay. These zones are extremely dangerous as they are filled with hordes of zombies, along with real opponents to face off against. During a match, a jet will fly over the area and drop a Cradle Gas Bomb into the ground.
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A still of Cradle Breaches gameplay in Warzone Black Ops Royale (Image via Activision)
This drops a tube structure that releases red smoke, which soon covers the surrounding areas. Any players inside the zone will then start hallucinating and encounter zombies. The real challenge during this time is that the zombies can easily distract you, and you’ll struggle to fight actual opponents.
An image showcasing the Mystery Box after defeating zombies (Image via Activision)
The red smoke stays for a certain period of time, and when it clears out, all enemies and reward opportunities disappear. Cradle Breaches also offer players two activities, which arefighting the Mangler and opening the Mystery Box.
The Mangler is a powerful Cradle Boss that offers high-tier loot once you defeat it. To get the Mystery Boxes, you need todefeat the hordes of zombies. Once they are defeated, a wooden box will drop, which contains Exotic Weapons as a reward.
Their first meeting took place back in May 2015, where Mayweather claimed a unanimous decision victory, before he eventually hung up the gloves in 2017.
Two-time world heavyweight champion Fury doesn’t seem too impressed by the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao rematch though, after telling Gareth A. Davies that he feels the two men shouldn’t be fighting at their age.
“If you look at Pacquiao and Mayweather, they were the top boys at boxing in the early 2000s. They were the kingpins and then they had to move over and we took over [as] the heavyweights.
“Me and Wilder carried it for a long time and Joshua as well. It keeps changing. You can’t relive your youth. Grandfather time takes over.
“These guys are nearly 50-years-old. Is it for the right reasons? Probably not. What I’m hearing is it’s all financial reasons. People can pretend they’re rich. If you’re that rich and that secure, you wouldn’t want to be fighting at 50-years-old. That’s a fact.”
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If Fury’s comments are anything to go by, it seems he has no intention of competing in his 40s, but he will return to the ring at the age of 37 when he faces Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11.
Jack Draper‘s Indian Wells title defence ended in controversial circumstances during his quarter-final defeat to Daniil Medvedev, with a contentious hindrance call proving pivotal in the 6-1 7-5 loss.
The decisive moment arrived at 5-5, 0-15 in the second set. Umpire Aurelie Torte, after a video review, awarded a crucial point to Medvedev.
The call came after Draper, visibly weary from his victory over Novak Djokovic less than 24 hours earlier, raised his arms at a disputed line call, deemed to have distracted his opponent. This controversial decision allowed Medvedev to secure a vital break.
The California crowd made their feelings clear, booing Medvedev at the change of ends and after he sealed victory.
The two players had a long chat at the net as they shook hands, with Medvedev saying “If you’re mad at me, I’m sorry” and Draper responding “I’m not at all – but I don’t think it distracted you enough”.
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Despite the contentious circumstances, Draper shook hands with both Medvedev and Torte before leaving the court.
The opening set had been one-sided, with Draper broken in his first service game after a net cord favoured Medvedev, who then raced to a 4-0 lead within 15 minutes.
Jack Draper gestures toward a chair umpire during a quarterfinal match against Daniil Medvedev (AP)
Draper finally got on the board with a hold of serve to make it 5-1 but it was only a temporary reprieve as Medvedev wrapped up the set in 25 minutes.
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The second set was a closer contest, although it was the Draper serve which was consistently coming under the greater pressure, with Medvedev telling his opponent he “didn’t feel great” about the incident which ultimately contributed to him sealing a semi-final spot at the end of the match.
British interest in the singles came to an end as Cameron Norrie went down 6-3 6-4 to Carlos Alcaraz.
The British number two fought gamely against the world number one but was eventually outclassed.
Norrie struggled to land a blow on the Alcaraz serve in the early stages while struggling to hold his own and the 30-year-old was eventually broken in the sixth game of the contest.
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Jack Draper, looking understandably weary from his exploits in beating Novak Djokovic less than 24 hours earlier, went down 6-1 7-5 to Daniil Medvedev (Getty Images)
Surprisingly that led to a temporary lapse of concentration from the Spaniard, who was broken back to love only to then force a third straight break before wrapping up the opening set.
Norrie gained an early break in the second set but his own service problems saw Alcaraz haul his way back in front.
Norrie saved the first three match points he faced but Alcaraz duly converted the fourth to set up a semi-final showdown with Medvedev.
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In the women’s singles, Elena Rybakina overcame Jessica Pegula in straight sets and will face Elina Svitolina in the last four.
Kimi Antonelli has been summoned to the Formula 1 stewards after allegedly impeding Lando Norris during qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race.
The Mercedes driver was going slowly on the inside of Turn 1 causing Norris to back off, before reporting to his McLaren team that “I was going to push that lap” during SQ2.
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Both progressed from the session regardless and Antonelli eventually qualified second behind team-mate George Russell for Saturday’s race, while the reigning world champion took third.
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After the session, Antonelli said: “Yeah, the pace is very strong. Just didn’t put the lap together at the end on the soft. So, yeah, still work to do. But obviously, congrats to George and all to play for tomorrow.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
If he is found guilty then the usual punishment is a three-place grid drop, which would push Norris onto the front row with the second shared between Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri.
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Antonelli would therefore start fifth ahead of sixth-placed Charles Leclerc, but the Italian teen would be expected to progress quite quickly given the superiority of the Mercedes.
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The Silver Arrows took a 1-2 in both qualifying and the race at last weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, having absolutely nailed the switch to these all-new 2026 machines.
“I’m feeling good in the car,” said Antonelli. “So, there obviously is more about details trying to put all together. But yeah, tomorrow we try to have a good start and then try to have a good quali.”
