Draper and Boulter have each produced career-best seasons in terms of winning tour titles and climbing the world rankings.

Draper, having become more physically robust this year, also reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the US Open in September.

A demanding win over Machac – who world number 18 Draper beat in the fourth round of his New York run – was another example of the improvements he has made.

Using his first serve effectively, covering the court to outlast Machac in baseline rallies, and adding variety to plant doubt in his opponent’s mind were the keys to an impressive opening set.

He also needed to show the gritty side of his game.

Fending off six break points for 27th-ranked Machac kept Draper in command and, although he succumbed to a seventh which decisively turned the second set, the British left-hander regrouped to dominate the decider.

“I felt it was more of a mental battle,” said Draper.

“My energy dropped a little bit and my decision-making became up and down.

“At this level you can’t get away with spending too long in that situation. I’m proud how I dug in.”

Despite raising concerns recently about the demands placed on leading players, the seventh seed has looked sharp at the ATP 500 event.

Draper will face German top seed Alexander Zverev or Italian sixth seed Lorenzo Musetti in Saturday’s semi-finals.

“I’m improving all the time and my results are showing that,” added Draper, who is set to rise to another new career-high ranking whatever happens over the weekend.

“I’m working hard to become more consistent. It’s showing.”

Maybe its time for a compulsory code of practice for schools and an anti bullying policy designed to resolve conflict similar to the model set out in the workplace.

We are starting a campaign to help us in changing legislation with the government and with school boards to get the schools to update and follow the policies set out to protect students that are being bullied both at school and out of school via cyber bullying and social media. This bullying has caused numerous deaths by suicide and attempted suicides. All schools should have these policies but how many actually follow their own rules. From the stories we have heard not many do and this is not acceptable.

We are running this campaign to help support the Bearded Fishermen suicide prevention support lines, 10 lines dedicated to offering support to people 24/7 that are struggling with mental health and suicidal thoughts. these lines can and do save lives, as part of the campaign we are hoping to get children in school and parents to join us in a protest against bullying in schools.

Do you want to join us in making a difference?

We are also raising funds to help with supporting children and adults that are being bullied, we have our 24/7 support call number on 0300 365 0019 available for people to call and chat in confidence and to talk. We are running an awareness campaign that will help to support this and to bring more people in to help support children being bullied in schools, we have a gofundme and a support funding page (Links Below) to help with funding and having new support lines and training put in place and we have also designed a t-shirt and a hoodie that promotes the message of ‘Stop Bullying – Prevent Suicide‘ that we would love for children and adults to wear to help support this campaign.

We will be arranging a mass UK event hopefully around February 2025 that we hope will involve children and parents from all over the UK to join together in supporting the `Stop Bullying – Prevent Suicides` campaign and to raise awareness of the schools policies and the way schools are not following the correct procedures in stopping bullying. all working together on one day at one time in mass to show support for `Stop Bullying – Prevent Suicide’ Campaign.

On a day to be confirmed we would like all the children and adults who have purchased or received one of our T-Shirts or Hoodies to wear it for the day and post pictures on all social media with the hashtag #bfstopbullying so that we can see people all over the UK spreading the word that we need to stop bullying in schools and to show the schools and government that we will no longer tolerate this happening and that things need to be changed. Wear it in school, college, university and work and lets get it noticed. So spread the word far an wide and share it on all media formats and with friends and family to get this campaign known everywhere. You can spread it all over the UK and abroad the further the better.

We have a page made for people to sign that will get it reviewed in the house of commons by parliament once we have reached 100,000 signatures. We need this sharing and signed by as many people we can. Please share this link on your emails and social media and get friends and family to join in the campaign too.

Here is the link to get as many signature’s as possible – Click Here

Facebook page for the Anti Bullying Campaign

Here are the links to our GoFundMe support page and to our Stop Bullying – Prevent Suicide T-Shirts (All proceeds go to the charity)

GoFundMe Support page here

Anti-Bullying Campaign Donation Page

Stop Bullying-Prevent Suicide Clothing store

Why is bullying on the increase in schools?

The Schools Minister and Education Department say ‘It is the responsibility of each individual Head of School to decide how to manage bullying in their school. It is up to the schools to decide how to govern and manage bullying.

The National Bullying Helpline has this in writing. Allowing a Head of School to unilaterally manage the process is a recipe for disaster, particularly where a school is in self-preservation mode and wants to contain a problem in order to protect their reputation. Presently, it is up to the School to unilaterally decide how to deal with bullying in their particular school. Surely, the School is in a conflict of interest. They are focussed on their image and their Ofsted results, so is it right to rely on a Head of School to resolve an allegation of bullying in their School.

Currently, there is far too much focus within our schools on image and Ofsted reviews and not enough focus on finding a solution to address the problem. Presently bullying statistics do not appear to be properly documented and recording in schools. Formal investigations are not being carried out.

• Schools will likely disagree with this statement. If they disagree, they need to be more open and transparent about their in-house processes. They should minute meetings with parents and they should report incidents to Ofsted.
• Meanwhile, parents continue to say that the school will not work with them and will not properly investigate a complaint.

Given that child suicide rates are escalating, we have to listen to what the parents are saying. Schools need to open their doors to both parents and experts who can help. Very often (not in all cases) parents do not know how to raise a formal complaint or who to address their complaint to. So, they approach a teacher who, let’s face it, is far more interested in teaching than investigating conflict and who does not have the skills to investigate or deal with a highly confrontational and potentially contentious situation.

The current policies should have included:

In the UK, all state schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that includes measures to prevent bullying among students. This policy should be clear and easy for pupils, staff, and parents to understand, and should include measures to prevent all forms of bullying, including cyberbullying, prejudice-based bullying, and discriminatory bullying. The policy should also give head teachers the ability to ensure that students behave when they are not on school premises or under the control of school staff.

Here are some other aspects of school anti-bullying policies:

Communication

The policy should be communicated to all pupils, staff, and parents.

Reporting

Students can report concerns to a trusted adult, such as a class teacher or tutor, or to a “worry box” in the classroom. Parents can also report concerns to named individuals. Staff should be trained to listen and believe students, and to involve them in finding solutions as much as possible.

Code of practice

The policy should be supported by a code of practice that outlines procedures for addressing allegations, documenting incidents, and risk assessing each case. A dedicated expert within the school should be appointed to oversee the process and deal with cases.

Training

Staff should be trained to recognize types of bullying and signs of possible victims. MindEd offers a free online training tool for adults that can help school staff learn more about children’s mental health problems and how to identify, understand, and support students who are bullied.

The Schools Statutory Obligation to protect your children from bullying

If your child is being abused or bullied at school and you fear the school is not taking satisfactory action, write to your local authority and remind them that they have a ‘statutory duty’ to ensure all children in their schools are safe at all times. For more information including template letters to your school and local authority, see the guide for parents, “Is your child being bullied. National Bullying Helpline information, link here

The National Bullying Helpline

Call: 0300 323 0169 or 0845 22 55 787

Bearded Fishermen Bullying Support line 0300 365 0019

Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev have been waiting a long time for this.

The middleweight contenders were at maximum intensity as they faced off ahead of their co-main event bout Saturday at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. At Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins, Whittaker and Chimaev engaged in an icy staredown after stepping on the scale, neither man allowing themselves to move an inch or even blink.

Watch the faceoff below.

The two held their ground for some time before being separated and finally cracking a smile. Anticipation for the matchup is understandable given the potential title fight implications and the fact that Whittaker and Chimaev were previously scheduled to fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this past June, when an illness to Chimaev forced the bout to be postponed.

Whittaker instead defeated short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov. The former middleweight champion seeks a third straight win to secure another shot at championship gold.

Afterwards, both fighters were brief with their post-faceoff comments.

“See you tomorrow, guys,” Chimaev said. “I have nothing to say.”

“I’m coming for war tomorrow night,” Whittaker said. “I’m coming for everything. Hope you guys enjoy.”

Headliners Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway weren’t as aggressive with their faceoff, but Topuria had a lot to say to Holloway as he spoke to him for several seconds with Holloway just nodding along.

Holloway looks to become just the second two-time featherweight in UFC history (along with Jose Aldo). Like the co-headliners, neither Holloway nor Topuria were interested in dishing out any additional trash talk.

“No more talk, fight tomorrow,” Holloway said. “Let’s go, tune in.”

“Tomorrow night, once again, you’re going to see why I’m the best fighter in the world,” Topuria said.

Topuria heads into his first championship defense on Saturday after a resounding knockout of Alexander Volkanovski to claim the title at UFC 298 this past February.

LOS ANGELES — Aaron Judge paused for a moment as he considered a question this week. The Yankees slugger, whose 2022 MVP season was sandwiched in between two from Shohei Ohtani, was asked this week what he admires about his award-winning counterpart “other than the obvious.”

A smile began to form across his face. 

“Other than the obvious?” Judge repeated with a chuckle before continuing. “I feel like everything’s obvious. He hits for average. He hits for power. The speed, doing what he did this year with the 50 stolen bases, it got talked about a lot, but I don’t think it got talked about enough. He’s an impressive athlete, the best player in the game, and what an ambassador for the sport.”

Ohtani said Thursday, a day before he faces off in a star-studded World Series against the man who paid him the compliment, that he was honored by Judge’s words. 

Most years, no one could question Judge’s proclamation. Because most years, no one in the sport could hit a baseball more than 450 feet while spinning a wicked sweeper and firing triple-digit heat off the mound, the way Ohtani can when he’s functioning at full capacity. 

This year, though, with that latter ability removed from the equation, the title of “best player in the game” is at least up for debate. Unable to pitch, Ohtani still offered a compelling case by delivering MLB’s first ever 50/50 season, finishing his first year with the Dodgers with 54 homers and 59 steals. He led all players in runs scored and total bases in a career year offensively and will soon become the first full-time DH to win MVP. 

[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series]

“He stays through the zone for such a long time,” Judge said. “Even when you think you got him, you don’t got him.” 

Judge, meanwhile, outpaced Ohtani in every slash line category and led all qualified players in homers, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, walks and WAR, among a number of statistics. He finished just four home runs shy of the AL-record mark that he set two seasons ago. 

As staggering as his .701 slugging percentage was, Judge’s career-high .322 batting average was just as noteworthy to Ohtani. 

“Although I’m not as tall as him, I can relate to the fact that being a taller, bigger player, your strike zone’s going to be naturally bigger,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “For him to post a high batting average, he has to be very efficient with what he does, so I’m very impressed at how he’s been able to do both — hit for average and hit for power.”

In doing so, Judge has built a strong case as the best player in the sport this season, even if that’s a title he has already ceded to Ohtani, who will finish the year strictly as a DH. (Despite the progress Ohtani has made in his throwing program this year, manager Dave Roberts confirmed Thursday that there’s “no possibility” he pitches in this Fall Classic.) 

With the two stars now in different leagues, though, it’s a distinction that doesn’t need to be made. They both made a run at a triple crown, and they’re both the runaway favorites to win MVP in their respective leagues, which is one of the many facets that sets this star-studded World Series apart. 

“We had our battles throughout the regular season over the years when he was with the Angels,” Judge said. “It was kind of back and forth, seeing him hit homers over my head and having some good series. But getting a chance to be on the biggest stage in the biggest moments, I think that’s going to be pretty cool to watch.” 

Juan Soto, already a four-time All-Star and World Series champion, turned 26 years old Friday and could make upward of $600 million in a couple of months. Mookie Betts is an eight-time All-Star and former MVP capable of playing either middle infield spot in addition to right field, where he won six Gold Gloves and is back playing after starting the year at shortstop. Freddie Freeman is an MVP, too, a year removed from leading the majors in doubles. Gerrit Cole, last year’s AL Cy Young Award winner, will take the mound Friday at the same venue where his teammate and fellow Southern California native Giancarlo Stanton, another former MVP, was named the 2022 All-Star Game MVP.

If Freeman is able to suit up, as he intends to do on his hobbled ankle Friday at Dodger Stadium, it will mark the first time ever that five MVPs appear in a World Series. It could have been six had a toe injury not sidelined Clayton Kershaw for the season. 

And yet, in this juggernaut championship matchup, the likes of which the sport has never seen, none of those talents are even the most highly-regarded superstars on their respective teams. 

Because this World Series — in addition to featuring the two top seeds in each league, from the two most populous cities in the country, in the first Fall Classic between the Dodgers and Yankees in 43 years — will feature Judge and Ohtani, baseball’s two premier talents on the sport’s pinnacle in a premier matchup that will draw the attention of millions, whether they love or hate the teams they’re watching. 

You’d have to go back to Duke Snider’s Dodgers and Mickey Mantle’s Yankees, back in 1956 when the former team was still in Brooklyn, to find the last time a World Series was played with the home run leader from each league. 

“You’re talking about two of the classic franchises, two teams that have the sport’s biggest stars,” Max Muncy said. “On our team, you’ve got Shohei, Freddie, Mookie. On their team, you’ve got Aaron Judge, Giancarlo, Juan Soto. You’re talking about the absolute biggest stars in the game, and now they’re going to be playing on the biggest stage? As a fan, how special is this, man?”

It’s been 12 years since the presumptive MVPs from each league battled in a World Series, when Buster Posey faced Miguel Cabrera in 2012. That year, both AL wild-card teams had more wins than Cabrera’s Detroit Tigers, while Posey’s San Francisco Giants had the fewest wins of the three NL division winners. 

That won’t be the case when Ohtani’s Dodgers and Judge’s Yankees, the two best teams in the sport this season, meet in the World Series for the first time since 1981. They’re not exact replicas of each other, especially considering the status of the Dodgers’ ravaged starting rotation, but their strategies for offensive success are similar. They homered more than any team in their respective leagues. They also chased less and walked more than any other teams in the majors.  

And they were carried by the most prolific offensive forces in the game. 

“Obviously, I’ve gotten to see Aaron now for seven years, got to know him well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.  “Just the reverence I have for the person, excited that he’s going to get to go be on this stage. Of course, I know playing against Shohei what an amazing talent he is, and obviously going to the Dodgers this year and having the kind of season he’s put out there, I think it’s great for the sport, great for baseball.”

The Dodgers designated hitter has dominated the sport since coming all the way back from his first Tommy John surgery. He hit 46 homers and went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in an MVP 2021 season. Judge followed by passing Roger Maris for an AL-best 62 home runs in an MVP 2022 season. Ohtani answered back last year, still thriving on the mound while enjoying a career year at the plate to earn his second MVP. 

But despite all the success, Ohtani had never been to the playoffs before this year. And Judge, for all that power and production, had never gotten the Yankees to the World Series. He also, to this point, hasn’t replicated his usual offensive output when the calendar flips to October. 

Both have a chance to write new chapters in their prolific careers, the way the Yankees captain imagined when he decided to stay in pinstripes and the way Ohtani envisioned when he joined the Dodgers on a record deal this offseason, a year after winning the World Baseball Classic for Team Japan. 

“He’s such a great ambassador for this game,” Judge said. “He plays the game the right way. You see him hustling around the diamond, I think that sets such a great example for our youth and all the kids that are going to be watching this series. So, definitely looking forward to this.”

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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PREMIER LEAGUE referee Simon Hooper dropped down more than a few divisions to referee a KIDS game in Manchester last weekend.

Hooper, 42, has been refereeing in England’s top flight since 2018.

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The professional ref took the time out of his week to stop by the Manchester Youth Super League and officiate a clash between two U7s teams.

Hooper even had time to stop and chat to the league’s usual referees and offer them some advice.

While the official came decked out in his Premier League gear and even brought along an official Prem coin to decide the kick off.

A post on the league’s social media gushed about Hooper’s heartwarming moment.

It read: “FIRST TIME EVER!!! A Premier League ref has reffed a game in the MYSL.

“A massive thanks to Simon Hooper for reffing a game last weekend.”

Adding: “He even brought his Premier League coin for the toss to start the game. WHAT A GUY.

“Thanks so much for this Simon Hooper, who even had the time to speak with our refs.”

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The game came in the same weekend that Hooper had acted as fourth official for Southampton’s defeat to Leicester.

It’s a big drop down for Hooper who is used to the dizzying heights of the Premier League.

He’s taken charge of over 100 Prem games already in his career and is used to coming face to face with international superstars rather than school kids.

Although his venture into the youth leagues won’t have left him struggling without VAR, with Hooper regularly taking charge of Championship games too.

This season he has already officiated two Championship clashes, while he has been the man in the middle for four Prem games.

Hooper’s last Prem clash came earlier this month when he took charge of Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

And he will return to action this weekend as he heads to Stamford Bridge to referee Chelsea vs Newcastle.

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