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.
DENVER — To this day, it’s a bit of a mystery to Jakob Poeltl.
“I honestly don’t know for sure myself, like, what caused it,” he said, speaking about his no-longer-troublesome back problems. “But I think it’s more accumulation of time and, like, a bunch of work and …”
And the rest is reflected in a long list of missed games over the course of the 2025-26 season — 33 out of a possible 68, the most games he’s lost to injury in any season over the course of a 10-year career.
But it seems like the worst is behind him now and, not coincidentally, the Toronto Raptors are the beneficiaries. Poeltl will never win style points or draw attention for his speed, power or any other quality that normally gets a second look in the NBA.
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But having a smart, agile and efficient seven-footer that understands how to complement his teammates on the floor is a welcome addition to any NBA team and having Poeltl back and in good health is perfectly timed as the Raptors jockey for playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
Over his past 10 games, Poeltl has averaged 12.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and a steal while converting 71.1 per cent of his field-goal chances and — as a bonus — 81 per cent of his free throws.
On the surface it’s still a notch behind his 14.5/9.6/2.8/1.2/1.2 on 62.7 per cent line from last season which represented his high-water mark in almost every category and was part of the reason he earned a three-year, $84-million contract extension this past summer that covers him through the 2029-30 season.
But on a per-possession basis, it’s essentially right on par, which bodes well for the future, even if Poeltl is keeping his focus firmly on the present.
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For Poeltl, it’s a relief after months of uncertainty. Unlike other injuries, his back problems presented a challenge because the progress wasn’t linear.
“I think the hardest part about it was that there wasn’t a steady timeline,” he said. “With most injuries, you kind of know how long it’s gonna take, and sometimes it takes a bit longer or sometimes it takes a little less time but, generally, you know what the recovery process is.
“But what the time was exactly in this scenario was a big question mark. Like, we almost made up some timelines, kind of hoping that this would be when I would feel better again but, realistically, it wasn’t something that time was just gonna fix. So, I think that was the hardest part.”
But the hardest part seems to be behind him now.
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After putting up 36 minutes banging against Pistons all-star Jalen Duren — the chiselled, six-foot-11 22-year-old — Poeltl was arguably the best centre on the floor, at least as indicated by his 21 points, 18 rebounds and five assists (Duren came in at 20 points, 11 rebounds and no assists).
“I felt fine, honestly,” said Poeltl, who hadn’t played 36 minutes in a game since Dec. 1, 2024. “Every game’s a little bit different, like you have different energy and stuff. I felt good on Sunday. Felt fine afterwards. Obviously, after a big game, you feel your body aching a little bit, but I think that’s normal for everybody, so I wasn’t too worried.”
The Raptors win Wednesday over the Chicago Bulls didn’t provide much of a test for the team collectively — 30-point wins over tanking teams shouldn’t — but for Poeltl watchers it was another checkpoint that he passed through easily. He finished with 17 points and eight rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting in 20 minutes, but it was the ease with which he changed ends that stood out.
He got a steal in the third quarter sprinting the floor to catch up with Bulls centre Jalen Smith, getting back in plenty of time to cut off an entry pass. He then immediately took off on a rim run the other way and was rewarded when RJ Barrett hit him for an easy lay-up that he converted while being fouled. He blocked a shot sliding with Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, eventually corralling him at the rim. His final bucket of the game came when he turned the corner on the 26-year-old Smith from above the three-point line and beat him to the rim.
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There are bigger tests coming, like on Friday when the Raptors take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
The three-time MVP looms like the Rocky Mountains, although with much more rounded shoulders.
The Nuggets have won five straight against the Raptors with Jokic in the lineup and are 9-1 against the Raptors in Denver.
Jokic is averaging 28.2 points and 12.6 rebounds along with 10.6 assists — the latter two numbers leading the NBA — on 57.3 per cent shooting so far this season. Since the former second-round pick morphed into a perennial MVP candidate in 2020-21, he’s averaged 27.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists on 60 per cent shooting against Toronto.
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“He’s a very talented guy. Kind of like a Swiss Army knife. He does a lot of different things out there on the court,” said Poeltl. “I think it’s one of those situations where you try to do your best to take him out of his comfort zone, just try to make him work all game long. And you just kind of accept the fact that he’s gonna make some tough buckets. He’s gonna make some tough plays. And for him there is a lot of playmaking as well. But you just try to force as many tough decisions as possible on him. And try to make him make as many mistakes as possible.”
It’s as good a strategy as any given Jokic made a career-high tying 10 turnovers in the Nuggets’ loss to the tanking Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, and is averaging a career-worst 3.9 turnovers this season.
And there are some reasons for hope, from a Raptors point of view.
Foremost among them is that the Raptors could have multiple options to use against Jokic. There’s hope that rookie Colin Murray-Boyles could be available Friday night after missing nine games with a left thumb injury that has been bothering him since he got it caught in an opponent’s jersey on Dec. 23, though he has officially been listed as doubtful.
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Murray-Boyles gives the Raptors an option who has the quickness and comfortability of playing with him on the perimeter matched with the strength to at least hold his ground when Jokic begins his slow-motion rumbles to the rim. History suggests that resistance might be futile, but Murray-Boyles could at least give Jokic a different look.
“He’s definitely a different kind of player compared to Jak,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. “His ability to pressure the ball, his ability to move his feet … he allows us much more switchability and he’s just got a gritty approach to the game. It really helps us. He’s finding ways to get stops, he’s finding ways to get rebounds and he’s really improving with his offence as well.”
However, for all his strengths, Murray-Boyles stands only six-foot-seven, leaving Poeltl as the Raptors’ only player taller than six-foot-nine. Any of the teams the Raptors could realistically meet in the first round of the playoffs have quality size. Without Poeltl, the Raptors quality and size diminishes in an instant.
There are still some long-term concerns about how Poeltl’s contract will age. Presuming he hits his games-played and minutes-played incentives over the life of the deal he’ll be set to earn $27.3 million at age 34, a significant bump from the $19.5 million he’ll earn this year and next. A pricy, aging centre with a wonky back can present a roster-building challenge, which the Raptors experienced at the trade deadline this year when they were unable to find a market for Poeltl in any of the deals they explored.
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But for now, that’s a tomorrow problem. For today, Poeltl is healthy and playing well, and the Raptors will need to put considerable load on his shoulders as they pursue a playoff spot in April and anything beyond that.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) takes the snap at midfield on the NFL shield during first-quarter action on Sep 28, 2025, at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, operating the offense against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an international showcase as both teams adjust to the overseas stage and early-game tempo. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings’ leaders said in January that they wanted a deep quarterback room this offseason — and they weren’t kidding. The club re-signed Carson Wentz on Thursday, a move to fill out the QB corps next to Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy.
Minnesota now has a proven fallback option with real starting experience.
Wentz will now battle for a QB2 job against McCarthy, though some fringe thinkers believe he even has a chance at the QB1 job.
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The Vikings Wanted More Stability behind Murray
The 33-year-old is back.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) drops back and scans the field during second-half action on Oct 23, 2025, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, facing pressure from the Los Angeles Chargers defense as he looks to extend the play and find an open receiver downfield. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images.
Wentz Re-Signs in MIN
If you enjoyed Wentz’s five starts in purple and gold last season, you are in luck, and there shall be a sequel.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote Thursday, “The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms with quarterback Carson Wentz on a one-year deal Thursday, adding to their depth in a key year for them at the position. Wentz, who started five games last season as the Vikings’ backup, joins a group that includes newcomer Kyler Murray along with incumbents J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer.”
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“The Vikings have been determined to upgrade the position after injuries and poor performances were largely responsible for them missing the playoffs in 2023 and 2025. Speaking last week after signing Murray, coach Kevin O’Connell declined to name a starter or to discuss in detail his plans for the position. Murray is the heavy favorite to win the job, but the Vikings have not fully given up on McCarthy.”
With Murray, McCarthy, Wentz, and Brosmer in the house, the QB room is totally full.
The 2025 Numbers
Among the 40 quarterbacks with at least 200 dropbacks in 2025, Wentz ranked 25th in EPA per play. McCarthy, by comparison, ranked much lower at 37th — a position typically held by rookies or developing quarterbacks. This disparity was particularly evident in situations requiring sustained drives.
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How, then, did the offense function under each quarterback? Wentz prioritized efficiency, relying on quick reads and shorter throws. This approach minimized negative plays, a necessity given the offensive line’s struggles. The running game offered little support, as Aaron Jones played in only one of Wentz’s five starts.
What about scoring? With Wentz at quarterback, Minnesota exceeded 20 points in four of his five starts, including a 48-point performance against Cincinnati. McCarthy reached this mark in only four of his ten starts. While not always seamless, the offense demonstrated greater consistency with Wentz under center.
Wentz completed 65.1% of his passes for 1,216 yards, with six touchdowns and five interceptions. McCarthy, while capable of generating bigger plays through riskier throws, lacked Wentz’s consistent drive-to-drive execution.
Now, the duo might duke it out this summer for the QB2 post.
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The Role
Some fans got the notification to their phones that Wentz had re-signed, and they thought: Boom — there’s the QB3. Others interpreted the transaction as an anti-McCarthy maneuver, meaning Wentz was re-signed because O’Connell and his coaching staff don’t even trust the youngster with QB2 duty, let alone the QB1 job, which he held last year.
In all likelihood, because McCarthy faced zero competition for the QB1 job last year, he’ll be pushed to the limit this summer at training camp and in the preseason to hold off Wentz for the QB2 job.
On the other hand, Ben Leber, a former Vikings linebacker, tweeted Thursday that he expected Wentz to win the starter’s job, putting Murray on notice and on track for a QB2 assignment.
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Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz (11) stands on the field during pregame warmups on Sep 11, 2022, at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, preparing for a season-opening matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars as he readies himself for his debut with the franchise. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports.
SKOR North‘s Judd Zulgad opined Thursday on Wentz’s upcoming role: “That would leave Wentz as the No. 3 quarterback, and it’s difficult to believe he signed on March 19 to accept a role as the backup to the backup. It’s more likely that Murray will open training camp as the starter with Wentz behind him.”
“The Vikings can’t be blamed for wanting more quarterback depth after what happened last season when injuries to McCarthy and Wentz forced Max Brosmer into taking on a role he wasn’t ready to assume. Privately, the Vikings also could point to the fact that McCarthy wasn’t nearly as ready for the starting job as they had hoped.”
Two QBs Who Grew Up as Fans of the Vikings
Wentz grew up in North Dakota and loved the Vikings as a kid and teenager. He talked at length about the connection when Minnesota signed him last summer. Murray came up in Texas, but for some reason, he also cheered for the Vikings, and he has never been shy about announcing it.
Yes, two guys who were reared by the Adrian Peterson era of Vikings football found their way to the same roster.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) goes through pregame warmups on Sep 21, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, focusing on throws and timing as he prepares for a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, offering an early glimpse of his routine before stepping onto the field for kickoff. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
This development is important to mention because free-agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill also rooted for the Vikings as a kid — and Minnesota may need a WR3 this offseason if it doesn’t trust last year’s rookie Tai Felton with the job and doesn’t draft a new wide receiver in April. Jalen Nailor left for the Las Vegas Raiders last week.
Childhood fandom apparently matters in the free-agent decision-making process.
Wentz will turn 34 at the end of December. He is nearing a full recovery from his torn labrum that ended his 2025 season.
The Senegalese Football Federation announced Thursday it has instructed its lawyers to lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after the national team were stripped of its Africa Cup of Nations title.
“Senegal will remain standing and will legitimately defend this victory on the field which we acquired on the field with the talent of our players”, the federation’s president Abdoulaye Fall told a press conference.
“We have given our lawyers a mandate to pursue this procedure at the level of the Court of Arbitration for Sport”, he added.
The contintent’s showpiece football final, in Rabat on January 18, descended into chaos when several Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest after the hosts were awarded a penalty late in second-half stoppage time.
Senegal‘s players were coaxed back onto the pitch by captain Sadio Mane, but Morocco missed the penalty. Pape Gueye went on to score the goal in extra time that gave Senegal a 1-0 victory.
CAF said that having studied an appeal by Morocco, “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match” and the result was “officially recorded as 3-0” in favour of Morocco.
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Asked what would happen to the trophy in the meantime, Fall told reporters the team would “comply with the statutory and regulatory provisions of CAF”.
The revocation of the win elicited a strong response from fans in Senegal, where authorities called for an “independent international investigation” into corruption.
In a resolution issued by the federation’s executive committee and read at the press conference, the federation said it would “use all possible legal, institutional and jurisdictional means to assert its rights and restore sporting fairness”.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye appeared in his office in front of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in a social media post Wednesday, expressing his “outrage” at CAF’s decision.
The Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), meanwhile has said the decision “upholds the rules and ensures the stability necessary for the smooth running of international competitions.”
The new legislation follows a review by Baroness Louise Casey, which highlighted that lives were put at risk when thousands of ticketless fans stormed Wembley during the Euro 2020 final.
Offenders now face a five-year football banning order and a fine of up to £1,000.
Baroness Casey’s findings had criticised weak sanctions for stadium breaches and called for tailgating to be criminalised.
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Policing minister Sarah Jones told the Press Association: “This is a new piece of legislation and, of course, the police are planning on how to implement it.”
It gives officers “more armoury” to “deter and then respond to people who are disrespecting paying fans by trying to get in without paying themselves”.
Offenders now face a five-year football banning order and a fine of up to £1,000 (Baroness Casey Review/Handout/PA Wire)
She added: “This is something that I don’t think any party could oppose – it cannot be right that some people pay and some people don’t and that people are put at risk, in danger, when people are tailgating.
“So we need there to be an appropriate response and a £1,000 fine or five-year football banning order I think will be a great deterrent.”
Tailgating is when fans get through stadium turnstiles by walking closely behind ticket holders.
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There was previously no specific legal penalties for attending a football game without a ticket.
The Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act will also make it illegal to knowingly try to enter a match with forged tickets, passes and accreditation documents, as well as by pretending to be a member of stadium or playing staff.
It follows an independent review of the European Championship final held at Wembley in north London on July 11 2021.
Baroness Casey identified more than 20 “near misses” that could have resulted in serious injury or death as a result of ticketless individuals trying to gain entry, and in some cases succeeding, for the England’s match with Italy.
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Around 100,000 people travelled to Wembley for the final “of which approximately 2,000 gained entry to the stadium without tickets”, with 17 mass breaches of the gates in the 90 minutes before kick-off until the penalty shootout.
The new laws also come after problems encountered by Liverpool supporters during their Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris in 2022.
In that instance, authorities were found to be at fault for major problems around the Stade de France despite their attempts to pin the blame on Liverpool supporters.
Several fans were denied entry despite having legitimate tickets for the match, while police also used pepper spray and tear gas.
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Manchester City will play Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday at 4.30pm.
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.
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.
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