The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable holds high hopes for Zambardo, acknowledging that the galloper must ascend to a new level.

With entries for both the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup, Zambardo is scheduled to make his return in the So You Think Stakes (1500m) at Sandown on Saturday.

Zambardo is a lightly raced New Zealand-bred gelding with four wins from his 12 starts.

The five-year-old arrived from New Zealand as a maiden, breaking through at his second start for Price and Kent Jnr on the Pakenham synthetic track over 1600m before recording successive victories at Sale, Sandown, and Caulfield.

His last win was in a 2000m benchmark 78 race on the middle day of the Caulfield Cup Carnival.

In a leap of faith, Price and Kent Jnr entered Zambardo into the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on the final day of Melbourne Cup week, where the gelding finished behind the champion mare Via Sistina.

The handicapper significantly raised Zambardo’s rating following that placing, which earned connections $540,000, from a 78-rater to 103.

This meant Zambardo was weighted out of easier contests and was forced to race at a higher grade, which he did during the autumn, starting in Sydney before concluding his campaign in Brisbane.

Price and Kent Jnr still intend to target ‘some nice races’ with the gelding this spring.

“We’re keen to be ambitious with him, until proven otherwise,” Kent Jnr stated.

“The Cox Plate will certainly be considered, but he has to prove he is at that level.

“His form went a bit sideways last preparation, for a variety of reasons. He was getting a long way back, he had bad barriers, that Q22 was a funny race, they went no gallop and it wasn’t a test of anyone’s ability.

“I think we judge the horse on his first couple of runs back here in Melbourne, but what I can say, he is flying, going particularly well.”

With the Cox Plate this year being run at Flemington as Moonee Valley undergoes a rebuild, Kent Jnr is looking forward to seeing Zambardo kick off his campaign at Sandown.

“I think that is one of the keys to him as he’s raced there before and I think he will enjoy being back Sandown,” Kent Jnr commented.

Explore online bookmakers for the latest racing betting markets on the upcoming Sandown meeting.

The Washington Commanders added plenty of new faces to their roster during the offseason. Many of their additions were to the defensive side of the ball, but there were notable offensive additions to the team, too. Tight end Chig Okonkwo and wide receiver Stefon Diggs lead that charge, but rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams can’t be left out either.

The Commanders are excited about their offensive additions, and Pro Football Focus recently named Okonkwo as one of five fantasy football breakout stars in 2026.

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After discussing Okonkwo’s time with the Tennessee Titans, reviewing some of his stats, and mentioning that the Commanders invested more in Okonkwo than any skill player outside of Terry McLaurin, the article says:

Expectations for Okonkwo will be higher than they were for (Zach) Ertz at ages 34 and 35. He played 12 of the first 14 snaps in the second preseason game, suggesting he will have a larger role than he did in Tennessee and that Ertz had in Washingotn. Given the uncertainty at wide receiver outside of McLaurin and recent free-agent addition Stefon Diggs, Okonkwo is third on the team in targets. That gives him a solid floor as a low-end TE2.

His ability to turn into a TE1 will largely depend on the quality of the Commanders’ offense in general. It’s unlikely Okonkwo becomes a frequent target near the goal line, given his lighter size for a tight end, but a few more touchdowns than usual are a possibility.

Okonkwo is one of the ideal targets at tight end for someone who wants to focus entirely on running backs and wide receivers earlier in the draft and punt on the position.

One thing you need to remember is that Tennessee did not use Okonkwo as effectively or as efficiently as they could have. David Blough may be a first-time coordinator, but he will have people in his ear about the best way to use the receiver-turned-tight end. There may be a bit of a learning curve, but once they figure it out, Okonkwo will become quite valuable.

Think about it. Jayden Daniels is going to be under serious pressure in 2026, especially with the questions around his offensive line. Having a target like Okonkwo on the field as a safety net, especially with his ability to get yards after the catch, is going to give Daniels a much-needed outlet when the pocket is collapsing around him.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders’ Chig Okonkwo is a top breakout fantasy football candidate

Just three hours into Week 1, college football provided one of the most shocking results of the weekend — and maybe the entire season. After going 0-12 last season, UMass went on the road and hammered Rutgers in a 37-21 win on Thursday.

With that victory, the Minutemen snapped a 16-game losing streak against FBS teams, which was the longest in the country. The last time UMass defeated an FBS program was Oct. 28, 2023, when it beat Army 21-14.

The most satisfying part of this win for UMass was that it certainly wasn’t a fluke. The Minutemen were just as good as the scoreboard indicated and dominated the Scarlet Knights right from the opening kickoff. UMass scored on each of its first four drives, and it didn’t punt until there were 100 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Even though Rutgers isn’t a top 25 powerhouse, this was still a highly improbable outcome. The Scarlet Knights entered the game as 29.5-point favorites, and history suggested that they should have been a lock to win this game. Here are some of the most mind-blowing stats from this miraculous Minutemen win.

• Entering the game, FBS teams favored by 29-plus points were 213-0 since 2024.
• Rutgers’ 16-point loss was the fifth-largest by a favorite of 25-plus points since 2000.
• This was UMass’ first win over a Power Four team since moving to the FBS in 2012.
• This was the first time UMass defeated a power conference opponent since 1978.
• The Minutemen came into the game 0-9 all-time against Big Ten opponents.
• UMass failed to score more than 26 points last season and averaged 11.1 points per game.

UMass earned this victory with a strong effort in every phase of the game, and there are plenty of reasons to believe that the Minutemen will be able to pile up even more wins as the season progresses.

Watson shreds the Scarlet Knights

UMass quarterback Pop Watson spent the last three seasons at Virginia Tech, but he was never able to break through as the starter. That prompted his transfer to UMass in the offseason, and he’s already making the most of his opportunity with the Minutemen.

A three-star recruit and the No. 44 quarterback in the 2023 signing class, Watson showed exactly why a number of Power Four programs offered him coming out of Springfield Central High School (Mass.). Watson made plays with his arm and legs as Rutgers struggled to contain him, particularly in the first half.

Watson began the game on fire, and he was a major reason why UMass found the end zone on each of its first three drives. Watson’s elusiveness gave the Scarlet Knights fits, but he also threw a couple of perfectly placed balls, and the best of which might have been this touchdown strike to Joseph Griffin Jr.

With UMass up multiple scores throughout the second half, Watson didn’t need to do much, but his final numbers were still exceptional. He connected on 18 of his 21 pass attempts for 189 yards and three touchdowns while adding 40 yards on the ground.

If this is the type of performance UMass gets from Watson every week in MAC play, they are going to be a tough out, and a number of Power Four schools might regret not pursuing him in the transfer portal.

Major defensive improvement

Last year, UMass allowed 38.6 points per game, which ranked 136th in the country. For those curious, there were only 136 FBS teams in 2025. In total yards allowed, the Minutemen were notably better — all the way up at 129th nationally (433.8).

In Thursday night’s season-opener against Rutgers, the defense showed a lot more backbone that it did at any point last year. The Minutemen actually created a fair bit of chaos on defense, generating seven tackles for loss and five sacks against a Big Ten offensive line.

UMass also won the turnover battle 4-0 with three of those being interceptions of Scarlet Knights quarterback Dylan Lonergan.

Perhaps the biggest play the UMass defense made all night came with just under four minutes left in the third quarter. Rutgers chose to go for a 4th-and-1 from the UMass 11-yard line, and the Minutemen didn’t give an inch. They forced a turnover on downs, and in that moment, they effectively buried the Scarlet Knights.

The UMass secondary was victimized by KJ Duff on numerous occasions, but there’s no shame in that, and there aren’t many receivers like him in the MAC. The rush defense, on the other hand, was extremely effective. Rutgers got zero push up front and averaged just 1.2 yards per attempt.

It’s only one game, but this is a very encouraging sign for the Minutemen. This defense certainly didn’t look like the worst unit in the country against Rutgers.

Defending champions Sri Lanka moved to the top of Group B in the Women’s Asia Cup after beating Indonesia by 75 runs in Dubai on Thursday, thanks to captain Chamari Athapaththu’s record seven-wicket haul and Nilakshika Silva’s half-century.

Sri Lanka were defending a modest target of 125 on a slow-paced pitch, but Athapaththu turned the match around with one of the best bowling performances in women’s T20 internationals.

She came on to bowl in the fourth over and struck with her fourth, seventh and eighth deliveries. Although she missed out on a hat-trick in that over, she completed it later by taking three wickets in three balls across two overs.

Athapaththu finished with 7/5 in 21 balls, becoming the first bowler from a Full Member nation to take seven wickets in a women’s T20I. The previous best figures in women’s T20Is belonged to Zimbabwe’s Esther Mbofana, who took 6/11 against Eswatini in 2021.

Indonesia were bowled out for 49. Rahmawati Pangestuti scored 10, while Ni Made Putri Suwandewi remained unbeaten on 12. No other Indonesian batter reached double figures.

Earlier, Sri Lanka were in trouble at 62/6 before Nilakshika Silva scored 50 off 35 balls to lift them to 124/7.

For Indonesia, Ni Luh Dewi was the pick of the bowlers with 3/32.

The win took Sri Lanka to the top of Group B in the Women’s Asia Cup.

In Group A, India remain on top of the standings, with Pakistan in second place.

Meanwhile, India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana also made history during India’s Group A match against Hong Kong in Dubai. The 30-year-old went past Mithali Raj to become the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket across all formats.

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Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image: X)

Sanju Samson is back in India’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against Afghanistan, giving the wicketkeeper-batter another chance to reclaim his place at the top of the order.Samson was left out of the squad for the Zimbabwe tour after being dropped from the playing XI following three failures. His omission came despite being named Player of the Tournament during India’s T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year.Since India’s World Cup triumph, the team management has continued to experiment with its batting combinations, particularly in the opening slot. Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was fast-tracked into the senior side after a remarkable IPL season and has already been given opportunities to open alongside Abhishek Sharma.With Samson now returning, former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta believes the Afghanistan series could be an opportunity to test another combination, with Samson and Sooryavanshi yet to open together for India.

‘We haven’t seen the Sanju-Vaibhav combination yet’

Dasgupta pointed out that India have already tried Samson alongside Abhishek Sharma and Sooryavanshi alongside Abhishek, but have not yet seen what Samson and the teenage batter can produce together at the top.“Straight away, if you think about the last match (England T20Is), it was Sanju and Abhishek. Leave Zimbabwe aside. When all three were available, Sanju and Abhishek were there. I think we haven’t seen the Sanju-Vaibhav combination yet. So far, we’ve seen Abhishek-Vaibhav and Abhishek-Sanju, right? It’s not a bad idea to even try and see what kind of combination Sanju and Vaibhav can make,” Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.

Sooryavanshi strengthens case for opening spot

Sooryavanshi has given the selectors another reason to consider him as a regular option at the top after an impressive series against Zimbabwe.The 15-year-old finished as the leading run-scorer with 151 runs in three innings, averaging 50.33 and striking at 196.10. His performances included a match-winning 81 and two half-centuries, earning him the Player of the Series award.His contribution also played a role in India securing their first series victory under newly appointed T20I captain Shreyas Iyer. India had previously suffered series defeats against Ireland and England.

Dasgupta doesn’t want Abhishek to be dropped

While advocating for a possible Samson-Sooryavanshi combination, Dasgupta stressed that he was not calling for any of the three players to be left out.Instead, he wants India to use the matches leading into the T20 World Cup to assess different combinations and ensure players get sufficient opportunities before the final decision is made.“Again, I’m not saying, please don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about dropping anyone here. I’m just saying, reiterating again, that the idea is that before the World Cup, you want to give every combination and every individual a proper chance and proper game time to understand what works,” he added.With Samson back and Sooryavanshi making a strong case for himself, India’s opening combination is likely to remain one of the key talking points during the Afghanistan series.

A Louisiana judge has ruled in favor of LSU in a Thursday hearing on the eligibility of former professional athletes.

With its preliminary injunction against the conference, LSU can continue the process of bringing two ex-NFL players — tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris — back to the college ranks without the SEC enforcing its ban on former professional athletes.

The SEC issued a statement and isn’t giving up.

In courts around the country, including Louisiana, athletes from the Class of 2022 won temporary restraining orders against the NCAA to gain an extra year of eligibility. When the SEC voted unanimously to approve its own ban on former professional athletes, the lawyers for the affected athletes added the SEC and Greg Sankey to those lawsuits, leading to Thursday’s hearing.

Just because LSU won this latest battle, it does not mean the fight is over. On Wednesday, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr called on the SEC member institutions to take matters into their own hands if the Tigers allow former professional athletes to play. Carr said the conference should use “all measures available,” including suspension or expulsion.

Sources told CBS Sports’ John Talty that other SEC schools have pondered a legal challenge in federal court and possible forfeiture of games. In a statement to CBS Sports, the conference said it will comply with the order while continuing to fight to enforce its rules.

“The order entered against the SEC and Commissioner Sankey is a temporary restraining order, not a final ruling on the merits,” the SEC said. “The SEC and Commissioner Sankey are prepared to contest the allegations in the plaintiffs’ petition at Thursday morning’s hearing and defend the SEC’s rights as a voluntary association to fulfill its mission to its member institutions.”

With the path cleared for eligibility, at least for the moment, Wright and Harris can be added to the LSU roster just over 48 hours before Saturday’s showdown against Clemson in Baton Rouge.

What will Wright, Harris bring to LSU?

Regardless of how you feel about letting former NFL players return to college, the reality is that it’s about to happen. So, we may as well analyze what Wright and Harris can offer the Tigers this fall.

In the case of Wright, he joins a tight end room already occupied by athletic freak Trey’Dez Green, but that doesn’t mean the former Ole Miss standout will have to play second fiddle. According to 247Sports, Wright posted a 74 percent route-run percentage while averaging 9.9 yards per route, which is three yards more than the SEC average.

That means Wright will be yet another weapon for Sam Leavitt in the LSU passing game, and it will free up Kiffin to get more creative on offense. More two tight end sets are now a very real possibility for the Tigers.

Throughout much of the offseason, the interior defensive line was a big question for the Tigers. They are poised to feature a couple of true freshmen, Deuce Geralds and Richard Anderson, at that position.

Big Ten open to meeting SEC scheduling demand for CFP expansion: Key concession could help birth 24-team field

Brandon Marcello

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Geralds and Anderson are tremendous talents, but they lack college experience, and Harris fixes that problem. With his 6-foot-8 and 330-pound frame, Harris can serve as a cement pillar in the middle of the line, and he played 66% of the defensive snaps while totaling nine tackles for loss and three sacks for the Rebels last year.

Will Kiffin continue to add players?

Will this ruling open the gate for more last-minute additions for LSU? Kiffin may as well make hay while the sun shines.

Former Utah cornerback Blake Cotton recently got a temporary restraining order, and “intends to seek a roster spot at a D-I University in Louisiana,” per The Advocate. It doesn’t take a private investigator to determine which university that might be.

Prior to the 2025 season, Cotton transferred from UC Davis to Utah, and he started eight games for the Utes. He started in eight games and tallied 30 tackles, two tackles for loss and seven passes defended.

Cotton signed an NFL contract with the Denver Broncos in the offseason, which meant he would have been ineligible under the SEC’s ban on former professional athletes. Now, Cotton is free to join an SEC squad, and he should provide reliable depth in the secondary.

Alexandra Eala, of the Philippines, competes against Oleksandra Oliynykova, of Ukraine, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

MANILA, Philippines — They’ve had their fun on the court in New York to kick off the US Open, and now it’s time for the real battle.

Alex Eala and Iva Jovic hurdled separate opponents in straight sets Friday and set up a clash in the third round of the US Open.

The two rising tennis stars shared the court with their fathers days before the main draw in the “Stars of the Open” exhibition at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Since then, Eala has had a dominant run in her second US Open main draw, beating Mary Stoiana, 6-1, 6-2, in the opening round before following it up with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Oleksandra Oliynykova.

The 18-year-old Jovic, meanwhile, labored against Magdalena Fręch, 7-5, 6-3, in the first round before dispatching Francesca Jones, 6-4, 6-4.

Head-to-head

Alex Eala vs Iva Jovic: Head-to-head information.

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Eala, the No. 17 seed, expects a grind-out showdown against the higher-ranked Jovic, seeded 14th in the tournament. After all, she has yet to win a set against the American in their two meetings.

“She [Iva Jovic] is an amazing player, young, very talented and very intelligent. Of course, she’s a high-ranking player and very accomplished. And I’ve encountered my fair share of challenges against her this year,” Eala said.

Eala fell to Jovic in the first round of the French Open in late May, 6-4, 6-2, then again at the HSBC Championships in London just 15 days later, 6-2, 6-2.

But they have not battled on hard courts, where Eala has been thriving, bolstered by her first WTA title at the Mubadala DC Open.

Eala and Jovic have also paired up in a couple of doubles runs, reaching the semifinal of the ASB Classic in January but bowing out in the first round at Indian Wells.

Jovic said she is looking forward to facing Eala much deeper in a Grand Slam tournament than in their first meeting.

“I’m super excited. The atmosphere is going to be amazing. She’s been playing some great tennis. It’s nice to be playing each other third round, deeper into the Slam. Hopefully we can all keep going on runs like this,” Jovic said.

No information on the scheduled time or venue has been released yet for their match.

Throughout the 2026 college football season, I’ll be giving you my just-for-fun picks for contests involving the best teams in the West across five conferences.

I started the season 2-1, correctly picking USC to defeat San Jose State and Stanford to beat Hawai’i, but missed on UNLV, which fell to Memphis.

This week, I am making picks for the following 10 games:

• San Jose State at Eastern Michigan
• Fresno State at No. 14 USC
• No. 7 Miami at Stanford
• Oregon State at No. 23 Houston
• Boise State at No. 2 Oregon
• Wyoming at Colorado State
• UNLV at Hawai’i
• Central Michigan at New Mexico
• UCLA at California
• Washington State at No. 17 Washington

You will also want to read Stephen Vilardo’s Big Ten Previews, Dane Miller’s Big 12 column, and my Pac-12 Previews.

Let’s get on to my picks!

Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.

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With Oleksandr Usyk’s time in the sport coming to an end, the heavyweight division is seeking a new fighter to take over and establish themselves as the man to beat, and Matchroom Promoter Eddie Hearn believes one of his contenders is capable of taking over.

This time last week, the general consensus was that the Moses Itauma era was upon us and that the Brit would defeat Filip Hrgovic to become boxing’s second-youngest heavyweight world champion, before unifying against his fellow titleholders.

As is so often the case in boxing, those plans were derailed as Hrgovic pulled off a mammoth upset and handed the 21-year-old a first career defeat; capturing the IBF title and becoming Croatia’s first ever heavyweight world champion.

During his post-fight interview, Hrgovic laid out his own desires for unifications, either in a rematch with Daniel Dubois (WBO champion) or against Agit Kabayel (WBC champion), despite being mandated to next defend his belt against Cuba’s Frank Sanchez.

With the landscape wide open, contenders and past champions are expected to manoeuvre themselves into contention.

Speaking to Pro Boxing Fans, Hearn said that former unified heavyweight world champion Andy Ruiz Jr could be the fighter to take control of the division.

“Andy Ruiz is a massive problem, if he is on it this Friday. If he looks great this Friday, give me Hrgovic, give me Itauma, give me Dubois, Kabayel – he can beat all of those guys.”

Ruiz recently joined forces with Hearn, as he looks to return to the form that saw him stop Anthony Joshua in 2019 to become world champion.

He returns to action against Poland’s Damian Knyba on Friday in at the Prudential Center in Newark, in search of a first win in exactly four years.

The former unified world champion has fought on just four occasions since beating ‘AJ’.

He lost the immediate rematch, by his own admission overweight and under prepared, before being sidelined for 18 months.

Wins over Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz followed, but a high-profile 2023 clash with Jarrell Miller ended in a controversial draw after Ruiz broke his hand during the fight.

Now back with trainer Manny Robles, who masterminded the Joshua win, Ruiz has weighed in his lightest since 2018 and promised fans he taking this comeback seriously.

With the belts perhaps more accessible than ever, and without the pound-for-pound threat of Usyk, Ruiz could well find himself challenging for a title soon.

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev kept his bid for a first US Open title on track with a gritty five-set victory over Quentin Halys, staying the course as a spate of upsets rocked the men’s draw on Thursday.

A trio of former women’s champions — Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka — booked third-round berths, along with reigning Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva.

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But men’s third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime tumbled out, along with sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur and 13th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti.

Zverev labored util 2:15 am Friday on Arthur Ashe Stadium to shake off 52nd-ranked Frenchman Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 6-3.

The four-hour 33-minute marathon followed his wild first-round five-setter against 89th-ranked Lorenzo Sonego that kept Zverev at it until shortly before 2 am on Wednesday.

“The performance was quite shit to be honest, but I won, that’s the most important thing,” Zverev said afterwards.

“Physically, I feel fine. I am proud, I think, to be physically quite strong. I just hope at some point I’ll start playing better tennis.

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“I’m winning ugly right now. It’s also a skill to win ugly and when you’re not playing great tennis. I think I’ve mastered that right now.”

While Zverev survived, Auger-Aliassime fell 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, to 50th-ranked Russian Karen Khachanov, pulled away relentlessly from the physically ailing Canadian, who said he was “dizzy and seeing spots.

“I thought maybe it would pass, but it didn’t,” a dejected Auger-Aliassime said.

Khachanov took full advantage of 47 unforced errors, with eight double faults, from Auger-Aliassime, who struggled particularly on serve.

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“I thought maybe he had some physical issues, it’s part of our sport,” Khachanov said. “From my side I tried to give my best performance, fighting, fighting.”

De Minaur fell to Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 while 123rd-ranked Australian Dane Sweeny shocked 13th seed Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the third round of a major for the first time.

It’s not the first time Van de Zandschulp has sprung an upset at Flushing Meadows, where he shocked Carlos Alcaraz in the second round in 2024.

Meanwhile top women contenders marched on.

Fourth-seeded Gauff, the 2023 champion, thrilled the Ashe night crowd with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) victory over former world number two Paula Badosa of Spain.

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Swiatek sailed through with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Nadia Podoroska while Osaka survived a second-set swoon to beat Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.

Australian Open winner Rybakina, the world number two who is closing in on Aryna Sabalenka’s number one ranking, saw off Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2, 6-4, and Andreeva rolled over Germany’s Eva Lys 6-0, 6-2.

Gauff, 22, had lost five of her eight prior meetings with Badosa, so she was ready when the Spaniard piled on the pressure in the second set, regaining a break to force the tiebreaker.

“I knew she would raise her level. She’s capable of blasting winners and blasting return winners,” said Gauff, who was pleased she kept her composure.

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“I think I need matches like this to build my confidence,” the 2023 US Open winner said.

Swiatek, whose six Grand Slam titles include the 2022 US Open, had things mostly her own way against Podroska, a former top-40 player now 449th in the world.

She fought off four break points at 5-3 in the first set then pulled away to polish off the win in little more than an hour.

Japan’s Osaka, who counts two US Open titles among her four majors, looked in total control against Siniakova as she raced through the first set and to a 4-2 lead in the second without facing a break point.

But the Japanese star’s unforced errors began to pile up and doubles world number one Siniakova pounced to climb from 5-3 down and take the set.

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Osaka regrouped in the decider, riding a quick break to a 3-0 lead and fending off a pair of break points on the way to victory.

“I just felt like I had to fight,” she said.

So did former Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who saved five match points to beat Anna Bondar 4-7, 6-4, 7-6 (10/5).

There was a bittersweet goodbye on Louis Armstrong Stadium, where 20-year-old American Learner Tien ended 40-year-old Gael Monfils’s Grand Slam career with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory.

“It’s been a long ride,” Monfils told an adoring New York crowd. “You are my second best crowd. Of course, it can’t top Paris, but you are up there!”

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