The 2026 season is still young, but Carlos Alcaraz has already created distance at the top of the ATP Race to Turin.
After winning the Australian Open and lifting the Doha trophy, Alcaraz leads the standings with 2,500 points in the battle to qualify for the ATP Finals, which will be held from 15 to 22 November at the Inalpi Arena.
Novak Djokovic remains second on 1,300 points despite not playing since the Australian Open final. Alex de Minaur sits third with 985, while Ben Shelton is fourth on 950 following their ATP 500 title runs earlier this month.
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Two-time defending ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner moved up to fifth with 900 points after reaching the quarter-finals in Doha. Alexander Zverev is sixth on 840, while Tomas Martin Etcheverry climbed to seventh with 725 after his title in Rio. Jakub Mensik holds eighth place with 695.
Outside the current qualification spots are Alexander Bublik on 650, Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime on 615, and Lorenzo Musetti with 565.
Only the top eight at season’s end qualify automatically for Turin, with a Grand Slam champion ranked between ninth and 20th eligible to claim the final place.
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There is still a long way to go this season, but Alcaraz has set the early pace and placed immediate pressure on the rest of the people.
The first round of the 2026 Valspar Championship presented players with the kind of stern test that’s typical of the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort. Those who went out early had the advantage of playing before the wind started to swirl; among the top 15 on the leaderboard, only four came from the afternoon wave as the weather picked up and caused serious problems.
Among those who had to navigate the challenging conditions in the afternoon was Jordan Spieth, who looked like he would put himself in terrific position after the first round. Spieth came out of the gates blazing with an eagle on the first and added three more birdies in the first seven holes to tear up the front nine with a 5-under 31.
However, as the conditions got more challenging, Spieth cooled off some on the back nine. Still, he was able to remain at 5 under after a strong birdie on the par-3 15th. Unfortunately for Spieth, that was where the wheels started to come off as he made a brutal double bogey on the par-4 16th and then closed with a bogey after missing a 5-footer for par on the 18th.
Getting rounds all the way to the clubhouse when he’s got a chance to go low has been an issue for Spieth all season. That was the case in the second round of The Players — when he closed with a double bogey on the par-5 9th after getting red-hot in the middle of his round — and then again this Thursday when he put a 3 wood into the middle of the lake off the tee on No. 16 after getting back to 5 under.
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Spieth is still searching for his first win on the PGA Tour since the 2022 RBC Heritage, and his game appears closer to that kind of breakthrough victory than it has been in a few years. However, his issues keeping big numbers off the card persist, and if he’s going to get that elusive 14th PGA Tour victory this week, he’ll have to figure out how to keep a cleaner card on a challenging golf course.
Leader
1. Sungjae Im (-7): After missing the start of the season with a wrist injury, Im fell below the cut at Bay Hill and The Players in his first two starts back on the PGA Tour. The third time appears to be the charm for Im, who caught fire on the Copperhead Course and got back to what he does best: striping irons and playing aggressively. Im led the field in strokes gained on approach on Thursday and paired that with the second-best putting performance in the field, which is always an excellent combination.
As was the case last week with Justin Thomas, the second step after finding your game again after injury is working out how to consistently produce your best. Thomas had a solid but unspectacular weekend after his hot start at The Players, and now it’s time to see whether Im can keep up this pace for the next three days. He probably won’t need to keep firing 64s to win, given winning scores at the Valspar have recently slotted between 10 under and 12 under, but he will need to keep posting solid scores and cannot afford any big steps back.
Contenders
2. Brandt Snedeker (-6) 3. Davis Thompson (-5) T4. Billy Horschel, Pierceson Coody, Andrew Putnam (-4) T7. Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jacob Bridgeman and six others (-3) T17. Jordan Spieth, Corey Conners, Tom Kim and 12 others (-2) T37. Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Wyndham Clark and 14 others (-1)
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Snedeker, a nine-time PGA Tour winner, is the stunner of the group placed on the first page of the leaderboard. His last top 10 in a main-season PGA Tour event was of the backdoor variety at the Memorial last year; he hasn’t won on Tour since 2018 and has missed all four cuts to start 2026. And yet, at one of the most challenging courses on the Tour rotation, he fired an opening 65 to get into solo second. Will he follow up his best round of the season in the afternoon on Friday? Either way, it’s an incredible start for a beloved veteran.
Schauffele’s winless drought isn’t nearly as long as that of Spieth, but he also shot a 3-under 68 on Thursday to put himself in position to contend yet again after a top-five finish at The Players. So far this season, he’s looked much closer to the form that made him a two-time major winner in 2024 than he was last year when injuries derailed his progress and made for a lost campaign.
Schauffele’s ball-striking, which led him to a strong Players performance, seems to have carried over to the other Florida coast this week, as he was second in the field on Thursday in strokes gained on approach. He’s still trying to wake up the putter — 92nd in the first round — but the iron play and tee-to-green performance from Schauffele is encouraging.
Schauffele is tied with Fitzpatrick and Bridgeman at 3 under, as that group features some of the strongest threats going forward.
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Conners had perhaps the strangest round of anyone, as he had back-to-back hole-out eagles as he made the turn on No. 18 and No. 1 to reach 5 under but then had his round come apart some and backed up to 2 under.
Anyone in red figures after the first day has to feel pretty solid about their performance, and that includes the defending champion at this event, Viktor Hovland. He got in at 1 under alongside Cantlay, Clark and a host of others, and he will be aiming for another big weekend in the Tampa area.
It’s unlikely Schauffele or Fitzpatrick will go away over the weekend; both present a little value right now. Coody, an elite driver of the golf ball, is another strong option on a course that punishes misses so severely. If he can putt at all this week, he could find himself in serious contention for his first PGA Tour victory.
Jadon Sancho isn’t set to be short of options when his contract at Manchester United expires in the summer, although the club do have the option to extend by a further year
Manchester United wantaway star Jadon Sancho is reportedly open to a return to Borussia Dortmund this summer and is ready to accept settling for a reduction in wages to do so.
The Athletic have reported that the winger, who is currently on loan at Aston Villa, would be willing to return to Dortmund for a third time.
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He has featured 158 times for the Bundesliga side across two periods, the most recent being at the end of the 2023/24 season.
His contract expires at the end of the season and despite the club holding the option to extend it by a further year, it is likely that his five year spell at Old Trafford will come to an end.
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Dortmund were linked with Sancho briefly last summer before he moved to Villa. Niko Kovac’s men moved to a 3-4-2-1 system this season, using two attacking midfielders behind a striker.
But the report from The Athletic claims that they are planning to return to a winger-based formation.
As well as interest from Germany, Sancho is also said to be attracting interest from Italy and Turkey.
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It’s currently unclear whether Villa will look to sign the United winger on a permanent basis in the summer on a free transfer.
It’s reported that the budget available to Unai Emery will depend on their Premier League finish and which European competition they qualify for. Last month, the Villa boss was asked about the possibility of extending Sancho’s move in Birmingham.
“He will need another contract, and maybe it could be here,” Emery said. “If he plays his best football, we will want him. But other teams could also be interested in him.
“This is football, and each match is important for every player’s and the club’s future, and for how we can achieve our objectives.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.
19-year-old tennis sensation Joao Fonseca set up a highly anticipated second-round clash with Carlos Alcaraz at the Miami Open, the first time the pair will meet.
Fonseca took just shy of two hours to overcome Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in front of a highly partisan Brazilian crowd at Miami Gardens.
The teenager played Alcaraz’s only real rival, Jannik Sinner, in Indian Wells last month, and now faces the other pre-eminent player on the men’s tour.
Fonseca pushed Sinner in two tight tie-breaks in their fourth-round encounter, the first time the two played each other, with Sinner inching ahead in the key moments and ultimately going on to win the title, his first of 2026.
“Excited for sure,” Fonseca said when asked about his next match. “I don’t know about other players, but I look forward to playing against the top players. I played against Jannik last tournament, and now I’m playing against Carlos.
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“It’s just a super experience, so I’m looking forward to it for sure and it’s going to be a great match. Hopefully I can get the win.”
Miami was where an 18-year-old Alcaraz won his first Masters 1000 tournament in 2022, becoming the youngest champion in the tournament’s history.
Now an eight-time Masters champion the Spaniard is the top seed in Miami, where he suffered a shock opening-round exit to David Goffin last year.
Fonseca was pushed on by a large and vocal Brazilian contingent in Miami (Getty Images)
Elsewhere another highly regarded young talent, French 17-year-old Moise Kouame, earned his first-ever ATP Tour win.
The teenager, who has impressed on the lower-level ATP Challenger and ITF tours, beat home hopeful Zachary Svajda 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. The result meant he became the youngest-ever matchwinner in Miami, and the youngest winner of an ATP Masters 1000 match since Rafael Nadal in 2003.
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He earned a congratulatory message from his idol Novak Djokovic and told Tennis Channel: “I have a small secret… After the win, Novak texted me. I’m so nervous, I don’t know what to answer. He texted me something like, ‘Big match today. Congrats. Hopefully you will go far.’
“Maybe [I should reply]: ‘Thank you, Novak. Thank you, my idol.’ No… I don’t know! Imagine having your idol DM [direct message] you like this… It’s the coolest thing ever.”
Djokovic won his first Masters 1000 match in Paris in 2005, three years before Kouame was even born.
The Frenchman faces a sterner test in the next round as he faces a player ranked 363 places above him: 21st seed Jiri Lehecka.
Quordle Answers (March 20, 2026): Struggling to solve today’s Quordle? No worries. We have today’s Quordle hints and answers for you to solve it on your own!
If you’re a fan of word puzzles, you probably already know that Quordle is a more challenging version of Wordle. Instead of guessing just one word, Quordle requires you to guess four five-letter words simultaneously within nine attempts.
We’ll offer a few hints to nudge you in the right direction for solving today’s Quordle (March 20, 2026) on your own. If you’re still struggling, we’ll reveal the Quordle answers as well.
Oh, and yes, we also have today’s answers for Quordle Chill and Quordle Extreme modes. And if you still want more, we have the answers for Quordle Sequence and the Quordle Weekly Challenge.
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Ready to tackle today’s Quordle? Let’s dive in!
WARNING: Spoilers ahead! Only read on if you want to know today’s Quordle answers.
Let’s start with the Daily Quordle. Here are a few hints to help you solve the puzzles:
Daily Quordle Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?
The first word (top-left) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
The second word (top-right) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
The third word (bottom-left) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
Daily Quordle Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?
The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
The fourth word (bottom-right) has no repeated letters
Daily Quordle Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?
The first word (top-left) starts with “”.
The second word (top-right) starts with “”.
The third word (bottom-left) starts with “”.
The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “”.
If you still need help with today’s Quordle Answer, you can try our Wordle Solver. Although it was built for Wordle, it can still help you narrow down the possible answers for Quordle as well.
Today’s Daily Quordle Answers
Spoiler alert: The Daily Quordle answers for today are provided below.
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Are you ready?
Today’s Quordle answers for Friday, March 20, 2026, are:
If you managed to crack all four, great job! If not, don’t sweat it—there’s always another chance with tomorrow’s puzzles. If you can’t wait till tomorrow, the Quordle game has many modes that you can try today. And yes, we have the answers and hints to help you out here as well.
Today’s Daily Chill Quordle Hints
The Daily: Chill mode gives you 12 tries to get the 4 words. Here are some Quordle hints to help you get started.
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Quordle Chill Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?
The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
The third word (bottom-left) has 2 vowels.
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 2 vowels.
Quordle Chill Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?
The first word (top-left) has 1 letter repeated twice
The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
The fourth word (bottom-right) has no repeated letters
Quordle Chill Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?
The first word (top-left) starts with “A”.
The second word (top-right) starts with “S”.
The third word (bottom-left) starts with “F”.
The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “D”.
Those are today’s Quordle hints for the Daily: Chill mode.
Today’s Daily Chill Quordle Answers
If you haven’t solved it yet, we have the Quordle answers for the Chill mode right here.
Today’s Quordle answers for the Daily Chill mode for Friday, March 20, 2026, are:
Let’s look at the Quordle hints and answers for the Daily Extreme mode next.
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Today’s Daily Extreme Quordle Hints
Let’s look at the Quordle hints for the Extreme mode. Please note that you only have 8 tries!
Quordle Extreme Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?
The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
The third word (bottom-left) has 1 vowel.
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 3 vowels.
Quordle Extreme Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?
The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 1 letter repeated twice
Quordle Extreme Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?
The first word (top-left) starts with “S”.
The second word (top-right) starts with “R”.
The third word (bottom-left) starts with “C”.
The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “I”.
If you’re still working on it, the Quordle answers for the Extreme mode are the next thing you’ll see.
Today’s Daily Extreme Quordle Answers
If you didn’t get a single answer, I hope you have four turns remaining. You will need them to enter the Quordle Extreme answers that are shared below.
Today’s Quordle answers for the Daily Extreme mode for Friday, March 20, 2026, are:
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Let’s try to solve the next Quordle challenge that updates daily – the Quordle Sequence.
Today’s Quordle Sequence Hints
You’ve got 10 chances to solve Sequence, but be strategic and don’t waste them all on your first guess. Check out these hints to help you:
Quordle Sequence Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?
The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
The second word (top-right) has 3 vowels.
The third word (bottom-left) has 2 vowels.
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 1 vowel.
Quordle Sequence Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?
The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 1 letter repeated twice
Quordle Sequence Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?
The first word (top-left) starts with “C”.
The second word (top-right) starts with “O”.
The third word (bottom-left) starts with “M”.
The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “D”.
One tip to solving Quordle Sequence is to use 3 words with completely different letters. This will create a base when you try to solve the next word.
Today’s Quordle Sequence Answers
We have today’s Quordle Sequence answers for you right below.
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Today’s Quordle answers for Sequence for Friday, March 20, 2026, are:
That wraps up all the daily Quordle answers. Let’s try solving the Weekly Challenge next (if you haven’t already).
Today’s Quordle Hints for the Weekly Challenge
The Quordle Weekly Challenge resets every Monday. So if you haven’t solved it yet, you only have 3 days more to play it.
And we are here to help you solve it!
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Note: The Weekly challenge gets activated only if you have solved today’s answer for the Daily Quordle Classic mode. If you missed it, you can always try again tomorrow.
Let’s check out the Quordle Hints for the Weekly Challenge.
Quordle Weekly Challenge Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?
The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
The second word (top-right) has 1 vowel.
The third word (bottom-left) has 2 vowels.
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 2 vowels.
Quordle Weekly Challenge Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?
The first word (top-left) has 1 letter repeated twice
The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
The third word (bottom-left) has 1 letter repeated twice
The fourth word (bottom-right) has no repeated letters
Quordle Weekly Challenge Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?
The first word (top-left) starts with “S”.
The second word (top-right) starts with “M”.
The third word (bottom-left) starts with “S”.
The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “W”.
That’s the Quordle hints for the Weekly Challenge. If you are still stuck, let’s check out the Quordle answers.
Today’s Answers for the Quordle Weekly Challenge
Today’s Quordle Weekly Challenge Answers for the week of March 16th to March 22nd, are:
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And that’s a wrap! That’s all the Quordle answers for the day.
Previous Quordle Answers
Looking for the answers to the previous Quordle puzzles? Here is a list of answers for Quordle’s Daily: Classic mode for the last 7 days:
If your thirst for word games hasn’t been quenched yet, may I suggest Blossom? It’s available on Merriam-Webster — the same place you’re playing Quordle. If you need help in this game, you can use our Spelling Bee Solver tool. Yes, we made it for a different game but it works for Blossom.
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; High Point Panthers forward Owen Aquino (8) drives to the basket against Wisconsin Badgers forward Aleksas Bieliauskas (32) during the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
PORTLAND, Ore. – Chase Johnston made his first 2-point basket of the season with 11.7 seconds remaining and 12th-seeded High Point earned its first NCAA Tournament win with a 83-82 victory over Wisconsin in the West Region on Thursday.
Panthers forward Owen Aquino blocked Nick Boyd’s driving layup with 2.1 seconds left remaining and Cam’Ron Fletcher missed the front end of a one-and-one, but the Panthers’ Terry Anderson intercepted Wisconsin’s full-court pass to end the game.
Boyd had 27 points and John Blackwell scored 20 of his 22 points in the first half for fifth-seeded Wisconsin (24-11), which has lost its last four NCAA appearances as a No. 5 seed.
Johnston had 14 points, 11 in the second half, and was 4 of 6 from distance. He has made 69 field goals this season, 68 3-pointers.
Terry Anderson had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Fletcher had 14 points for 11 boards for the 12th-seeded Panthers (31-4), who were making their second tournament appearance in school history, their second straight.
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Austin Rapp scored 12 points for Badgers, who led 70-62 on Boyd’s layup with seven minutes left before Johnston and Anderson made threes to cut the deficit to 70-68.
Boyd’s layup gave the Badgers an 82-78 lead before Johnston hit a three. Wisconsin could not get the ball inbounds with 54.6 seconds remaining, but Aquino missed a short shot to give Wisconsin possession.
Boyd missed a layup with 16 seconds remaining, and Johnston broke free to take a long pass for his winning layup.
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High Point made 15 of 40 3-pointers. Johnston and Martin made four, and Fletcher hit three.
The Badgers were 9 of 23 from distance, 39.1 percent, after living on the perimeter most of the season. They made 400 3-pointers entering the tournament, the second-most in NCAA Division I behind Alabama (405).
Wisconsin led 15-5 on Blackwell’s 3-pointer five minutes into the game as High Point missed nine of its first 10 three-point attempts. Cam’Ron Fletcher’s three with 1:11 left in the first half tied it at 39-39 before Blackwell’s layup gave the Badgers a 41-39 lead at half.
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has issued a stark warning to his former club over the future of Bruno Guimaraes after it was suggested Manchester United were in advanced talks over a summer transfer
Newcastle United icon Alan Shearer has warned the Magpies they must qualify for European competition or face losing their star players.
The former Toon striker reckons that much of the coverage linking skipper Bruno Guimaraes with a departure from the club is nonsense and anticipates further rumours between now and the campaign’s conclusion.
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Both the Brazil international and fellow midfielder Sandro Tonali have been connected with summer moves away from St. James’ Park, with Manchester United said to be interested in the pair. The Reds are even now reportedly in advanced talks over a £69m deal for Guimaraes, as they look for a successor to Casemiro.
Michael Carrick’s side are currently in third place and among the favourites to secure Champions League football. Newcastle, on the other hand, are currently ninth, seven points behind Liverpool in fifth place.
It’s highly likely the Premier League will be given five spots in next season’s edition of the Champions League, but Eddie Howe’s side are well off the pace.
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United have a clear advantage over Newcastle in that regard, and Shearer has warned the Magpies that ‘noise’ around their key players will only get louder.
Addressing the rumours surrounding Guimaraes, Shearer told Betfair: “Newcastle have to get through the season. They have to somehow get European football, whether that’s Europa League or whether that’s the Conference League.
“They have to somehow get European football. I guess it’s been happening for the last two months. I’ve seen the reports myself now on Bruno Guimaraes. I also know that a lot of the reports are rubbish.
“If Newcastle don’t qualify for European football, then the noise around their top players will only get louder and then it becomes difficult not only to keep your top players, but also then it becomes difficult to bring top players in because top players want European football.
“So that’s going to happen more and more between now and the end of the season. If there’s any truth in it, I haven’t got a clue, but that will happen if Newcastle don’t get European football.
“That’s the same for most clubs but obviously with Newcastle, that’s what happens when you have a little taste of success. If that doesn’t continue, then that’s when the transfer talk will happen.
“There’s no difference to anyone else. It’s the same at Tottenham, it’s the same at Man United, it’s the same at Villa. Villa will have the same issues as well, there’ll be talk about Morgan Rogers.”
Guimaraes is presently sidelined with a hamstring problem, although he was spotted in Barcelona during the week observing the Magpies’ Champions League loss.
Speaking last year, the Brazilian stated: “I hope to stay much longer. I don’t know what the future brings let’s see, but I hope to play much more for Newcastle United.”
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The Indian men’s and women’s teams found themselves in tough draws for the Thomas and Uber Cups respectively after being clubbed with defending champions China, the Badminton World Federation announced on Wednesday.
The 34th edition of the Thomas Cup and 31st Uber Cup are slated to be held at Horsens, Denmark from April 24-May 3.
The Indian men’s team, who had made history winning its first-ever tile in 2022, have been placed in Group A alongside China, Canada and Australia.
India had lost to eventual winners China in the quarterfinals of the last edition in 2024.
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In the Uber Cup, the Indian women’s team also find itself in Group A with reigning and 16-time champions China.
Hosts Denmark and Ukraine complete the group.
India had bowed out in the quarterfinals in the previous edition, losing to Japan.
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China boast of a formidable men’s line-up with Shi Yu Qi (world No. 2) and Li Shi Feng (No. 7), besides Weng Hong Yang (No. 17) and Lu Guang Zu (No. 18).
India however, will draw confidence from Lakshya Sen’s recent form as the Paris 2024 semi-finalist stunned Feng en route to a runner-up finish at the All-England Championships earlier this month.
India had created history in 2022 by winning their maiden Thomas Cup title in Bangkok, becoming only the sixth nation to lift the trophy after a 3-0 win over 14-time champions Indonesia in the final.
India qualified for the 2026 Thomas Cup through their position in the BWF men’s team rankings following the Badminton Asia Team Championships.
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The women’s team also secured their Uber Cup berth via the world rankings.
A total of 16 teams — divided into four groups of four — will play round robin league with each tie consisting of five matches (three singles and two doubles).
The top two teams from each group will make the quarter-finals.
Thomas Cup Draw
Group A: China, India, Canada, Australia; Group B: Japan, Malaysia, England, Finland; Group C: Chinese Taipei, Denmark, Korea, Sweden; Group D: Indonesia, France, Thailand, Algeria.
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Uber Cup Draw
Group A: China, India, Denmark, Ukraine; Group B: Japan, Malaysia, Turkey, South Africa; Group C: Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Canada, Australia; Group D: Korea, Thailand, Bulgaria, Spain.
Ola Aina played a key part as Nottingham Forest advanced to the Europa League quarter-finals following a dramatic penalty shootout win over Danish side Midtjylland.
Aina came on as a substitute in the 75th minute, having been rested earlier to keep him fresh for Forest’s important Premier League clash against Tottenham this weekend. His entry helped Forest maintain control and see out the game.
The match ended 2-1 after extra time, sending the tie to penalties, where Forest scored all three of their spot-kicks to secure a 3-0 shootout victory. Early goals from Nicolás Domínguez and captain Ryan Yates had given Forest the advantage on the night, with Martin Erlic briefly pulling one back for Midtjylland.
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Ola Aina’s introduction in the second half ensured Forest remained solid at the back while also adding energy going forward. His presence contributed to the team’s composure during the tense final minutes and the decisive penalty shootout.
Forest now turn their attention back to domestic matters as they prepare for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Tottenham, but the win in Denmark gives them confidence in both Europe and the league.
Our review as Pearl Abyss’ long-awaited ARPG has finally launched on the PS5, PC, and Xbox
Few games this year have received as much hype across social media and gaming communities as Crimson Desert. The action RPG developed by Black Desert’s developers, Pearl Abyss, promises a large, expansive world for players to explore alongside a gripping storyline.
A cry away from the MMORPG roots of Black Desert, Pearl Abyss’ latest title focuses on a single-player immersive experience. At the time of writing, I have spent roughly 8 hours playing the game on PC and feel I have spent enough time to give my first impressions of Crimson Desert.
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When discussing anticipated discourse for Crimson Desert, one key concern among players is whether the game was promising too much and whether it could truly deliver such a vast array of content while still providing meaningful gameplay and immersion, being so-called ‘as wide as an ocean but as shallow as a puddle’. Once through the game’s introduction, which provided a very rudimentary summary of the fighting and movement mechanics (more on that later), the first thing that struck me was how beautifully Crimson Desert’s world was designed.
It struck the same feeling as when you first get out of the sewers in Oblivion or step into Elden Ring’s Limgrave for the first time and are presented with this vast, beautiful open world that, barring a few exceptions, you’re basically free to explore. While Crimson Desert does present you with a main story to follow and enjoy, I’m one of those who are far too easily distracted by side quests and activities at first, which this game was more than happy to accommodate.
After only progressing around 20 minutes into the main quest, I was presented with a wide variety of things to take part in, including arm wrestling in an inn, mining for materials, and cooking a…fish porridge? And what open-world game is complete without, yes, a fishing minigame.
Considering this was the first area of the game, it felt to me that Crimson Desert was giving me the message that I don’t need to rush the main story and that there are meaningful rewards in taking time out to tackle side quests and activities. This is further emphasised by a mechanic that confused me at first, but is central to the game’s presentation -Knowledge.
Whether it’s a person you’ve just met on the cobbled streets, a shopkeeper and their inventory, an animal in the wild, or a type of ore in a mountain, Crimson Desert asks your character, and inadvertently the player, to learn about every little thing in this world, and I love it. While most massive open-world games practically require a wiki to understand various items and things, Crimson Desert is essentially tasking you with becoming your own wiki as you fill up your journal with a flurry of information that you have to obtain yourself.
How deep of an RPG is Crimson Desert really?
Let’s start with what I believe will be the biggest con for RPG fans who may be turned off by this game: the lack of character creation. Crimson Desert has decided to take the route of throwing you into the protagonist of Kliff instead of allowing you to create your own character.
While this isn’t a dealbreaker for me, it may disappoint many, especially those who have previously played Black Desert and likely spent hours on the character creation screen alone thanks to Pearl Abyss’ attention to detail in that department. Despite this, the game allows the player to take control of other playable allies, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
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A wide array of roleplaying is also still allowed through the role of Kliff – I was especially struck when I stumbled upon a dodgy shopkeeper who sold a black mask with the fine print stating that the mask ‘allows for crimes to be committed’. While this isn’t something I’ve explored yet, it does appear that I can skew Kliff’s moral compass ever-so slightly for financial gain.
Furthermore, the game still allows you to customise Kliff’s look with different armour options and a variety of hairstyles, available at barber shops. Armour and clothing can also be further customised with the option of dyes being made available.
What about the combat?
When you’re first introduced to the ‘sword and shield’ style of Crimson Desert’s combat, you’d be forgiven for thinking the same thing I did: ‘Is that it?’. Aside from a few button combinations, the initial feeling of Crimson Desert’s combat can feel quite simple: spam one button to attack and span another to block and dodge.
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This isn’t helped by the somewhat simple tutorial the game places you in, throwing wave after wave of enemies without giving much of a chance to experiment or show off combos. However, the combat allows for much more versatility than it shows on the surface, with different weapon types being made available, allowing for different playstyles for different types of enemies and bosses.
The so-called skill tree also allows for different manoeuvres to be performed in combat, many of which are essential for certain enemies, as I discovered in a particularly difficult boss fight in the first few hours of the game.
Is Crimson Desert worth all the hype?
While I have only spent a handful of hours with Crimson Desert, it has left a lasting impression and while I have no doubt not covered everything in this summary, I can tell Crimson Desert still has plenty to offer and explore. With its wide variety of systems, enemies, bosses, and more I think Crimson Desert may be the perfect game for those looking for a vast open world to explore and be rewarded while doing so.
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This review is based on an early review copy received prior to Crimson Desert’s official launch.
JOHANNESBURG — It’s not so much that Bryson DeChambeau signed autographs to the point his neck hurt Thursday evening. It’s that he kind of promised he would.
After taking a share of the first round at LIV South Africa, DeChambeau walked into the media center for a press conference and declared he’d sign for every last fan. By the time he walked out of the press center, more than 30 minutes later, the horde was still waiting. Children poking their heads through gaps in the fence. Men climbing up onto the platform to get closer to him.
DeChambeau likes to sign — it “re-energizes” him, he says — but this session was notable for what he was signing. Gloves, hats, flags — sure. But also umbrellas poked his way. An umbrella case. Backpacks. Even shoes from fans hopping around on one leg, and shirts from sweaty chest-bearers squeezed in among the fully clothed.
DeChambeau knows too well how pro-golf event promotion goes. Every tournament promises to be great. Some offer a headliner course; others assemble a loaded field. Some sell a great amount of tickets; others are endlessly hyped . . . and yet still flop.
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LIV events have worked in some locations, and not so well in others. LIV promoters have learned that in the last four years. For months they’ve been selling their first African event as something special, something different, but you just never know. This is LIV’s third tournament in three weeks. Most players flew west to Hong Kong, then further west to Singapore, then really far west to Africa. When the week wraps, the westward migration will continue, to America. The Masters is 13 days away.
But LIV always had this week circled based on ticket demand. Since the event was announced in July, ticket sales rivaled only LIV’s most popular event, in Australia. The league then added a surprise bonus 18 holes to its tournaments, which meant it could sell another full day of tickets. And sell they did. Just this week, LIV issued more tickets for the South Africa stop, and the league says it has moved 90,000 of them.
Official attendance figures won’t be released until week’s end, but on Thursday the grounds here at the Club at Steyn City did not lack for activity. There were fans after DeChambeau’s round elbowing each other to get a closer look at LIV’s biggest star. And fans during DeChambeau’s round rushing him after a flared drive, shoving a phone into his hands and begging him to take a selfie. Thousands more spectators seemingly walked all 18 holes of this hilly course with DeChambeau and another big draw this week: Louis Oosthuizen, who is captain of the all-South African Southern Guards team.
Bryson DeChambeau snaps a selfie with a fan’s phone Thursday.
getty images
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“Me and Charl [Schwartzel] just stood there talking a little bit, and I was there watching his tee shot,” Oosthuizen said after the round. “I was tearing up a little bit. I put my glasses on because I felt so proud, and then Charl just said he felt the same way.”
Added Schwartzel, who played in the group ahead of Oosthuizen’s: “Very few times you get to experience in your career where your hair stands up and you get these needles going through your body. I was walking up there [on the first tee], and it was just so loud, and I started tearing up. I was like, Wow, I need to hit a tee shot but I’m busy crying.”
Their teammate, Dean Burmester, said much the same during an on-course interview. Their fourth teammate, Branden Grace, meanwhile, is one shot off the lead. As a quartet, the South Africans are leading the team competition by one. Their general manager, Richard Glover, has worked in sport in this vast country for over 15 years. He’s been promising people only one thing should the Southern Guards win the team event.
;)
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