Kidambi Srikanth’s run at the China Masters Super 750 came to an end in the quarterfinals here on Friday as the former world No.1 was outplayed in straight games by Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu.

The 33-year-old Indian, who had shown flashes of his vintage best while finishing runner-up at the US Open Super 300 earlier this year, went down 16-21, 16-21 to the 25th-ranked Lee Cheuk in a 39-minute contest.

Srikanth had looked sharp in the previous round, dispatching world No.9 Victor Lai of Canada 21-18, 21-19 in the Round of 16.

But against Lee Cheuk, the Indian found himself chasing the game for long stretches, particularly after surrendering the momentum midway through the opening game.

Srikanth made a brisk start, racing to a 3-0 lead, but Lee Cheuk was quick to settle into a rhythm. The Hong Kong shuttler reeled off three points to level at 3-3 before turning the screws with a six-point burst that took him to 14-6.

Srikanth tried to claw his way back, but the deficit proved too steep as Lee Cheuk kept his composure to pocket the opening game.

The second game produced a much tighter battle. Srikanth again came out firing, moving 4-0 ahead, only for Lee Cheuk to draw level at 4-4. Thereafter, the rallies grew longer and the margins thinner, with the lead changing hands several times as the two traded points all the way to 15-15.

Just when Srikanth appeared to be within touching distance, Lee Cheuk found another gear. He strung together three points to surge 18-15 ahead and then shut the door with another three-point burst, wrapping up the match in straight games.

Lee Cheuk, 30, who had produced one of his standout performances at the Singapore Open in May, recovering from a difficult position to stun All England champion Lin Chun-yi, will next face world No.2 Christo Popov of France in the semifinals.

As the 2026 NFL season approaches, bettors will race to sportsbooks to make NFL predictions on the spread, in addition to bets on the money line, total or with player props. However, another wager one could make is a Week 1 NFL score prediction, where you guess what the exact score will be for a given game. This is a high-risk, high-reward NFL bet but one that could produce a massive payout. Hitting on the exact score for the Chiefs vs. Broncos contest on Monday night could have a return of anywhere from +6000 to +15000. Visit our DraftKings promo code review and get $200 in bonus bets as a new user after $5+ in wagers here:

Looking at previous matchups and the score history could help with making these Week 1 NFL bets. But even those well-versed with wagering on traditional football predictions could utilize some NFL betting advice with an exact score. Before making any Week 1 NFL picks, be sure to see the exact NFL score predictions from SportsLine expert Eric Cohen.

A SportsLine expert and host, Cohen is evaluating the entire Week 1 NFL slate and delivers score predictions and logic for each matchup. He finished the 2025-26 season with a 188-96-1 straight-up record (66%) with his picks at NFL betting sites. Anyone who followed Cohen’s NFL predictions on betting sites could have seen strong returns.

Now, Cohen has analyzed the latest NFL odds and made his Week 1 NFL picks. You can only see Cohen’s Week 1 NFL exact score predictions at SportsLine.

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Top Week 1 NFL picks

After diving into all 16 games from the NFL Week 1 schedule, Cohen recommends backing the Texans (+1.5 44.5) to defeat Buffalo at the best betting apps. A Houston win would return -105 on the money line. Week 1 road games have been Josh Allen’s Kryptonite as over three away starts, he has 10 turnovers, compared to just five passing touchdowns. None of those previous defenses he faced were as good as this Texans one as they sacked him eight times, and notched two picks, versus Allen and the Bills last year. Also, Cohen points out the notable scoring trends of this matchup.

“Houston has won four of the last five meetings against Josh Allen and Buffalo, each by a single possession. Expect the same in Week 1 between two of the AFC’s top contenders. The Texans have the best defense in the NFL and should stifle Allen, while on offense, Houston QB C.J. Stroud needs to make amends for a dreadful finish to last season. Dating back to 2020, each of Houston’s three victories over Buffalo has seen them score 22 or 23 points, while Buffalo has scored 19 or 20 in each of those games. History has a funny way of repeating itself. Texans 23, Bills 20.” See his other Week 1 football score predictions at SportsLine.

How to make Week 1 NFL score predictions

In addition, Cohen is calling for a road team to win by double-digits, making the alternate lines very appealing. Nailing this result is key to making profitable Week 1 NFL picks. You can only see it at SportsLine.

Who wins every Week 1 NFL game, and which game is a must bet for the road team? Visit SportsLine now to get Eric Cohen’s NFL Week 1 score predictions, all from the NFL expert who nailed 66% of his NFL straight-up picks last season, and find out.

If the Vikings fizzle in the upcoming season, then change will be afoot. 3 Vikings stand out above the rest.

Most notably, there’s going to be the quarterback position to consider. Does anyone within the quartet — Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer — get kept around in the event of underperformance? Others from within the organization seem like candidates to take off if there isn’t true success in the upcoming season.

3 Vikings Set to Depart if 2026 Flops

No. 1 — WR Justin Jefferson

Not very often, folks, does a receiver who is so tremendous show so much patience.

There’s no sense of exaggeration when saying that Justin Jefferson is a historic talent. What he has done in his opening six seasons has been phenomenal — the yards most prominently — especially since the passers have been so varied.

Presumably, there’s going to be an expiration date on his patience. Jefferson is moving into his seventh NFL season and has yet to win a playoff game. The pair of good passers in his career, Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold, have been allowed to walk. There’s a pile of pressure on the Vikings to get things figured out in 2026.

A brutal truth: Jefferson probably should ask out if Minnesota can’t elevate to his level.

No. 2 — HC Kevin O’Connell

Truth be told, Kevin O’Connell is sitting on the hot seat. The Wilfs, like Jefferson, are patient, but they’ll want actual results at some point.

O’Connell can commonly be found doing what a company man does: saying the correct things. He’s good in front of the microphone as he praises the fans and compliments the ownership. So, too, does he make a consistent effort to praise his guys as he maintains an upbeat, positive personality.

The cold reality: he’s 0-2 in the playoffs.

Kevin O’Connell is a good football coach. The Vikings will fire him in a year or two if he can’t show that he’s a great football coach who can win in the playoffs.

No. 3 — A Pile of Veteran Mainstays

Edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel is a football cyborg. He’s moving into the final year of his contract. Extending him after a failed season would be odd given that he’s an older player.

Consider some others working in a contract year:

• LB Blake Cashman
• CB Isaiah Rodgers
• WR Jauan Jennings
• QB Kyler Murray
• RB Aaron Jones
• TE T.J. Hockenson
• C Blake Brandel
• LB Ivan Pace Jr.
• RB Jordan Mason

Other players would be plausible cut candidates, such as S Theo Jackson, S Josh Metellus, CB James Pierre, and various others. In short, the final player isn’t a player at all. Rather, the final player is a collection of guys in their prime or a touch later in their careers who could get moved out in favor of a rebuild.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Usually, the airline losing a player’s clubs in transit to a tournament is a horror story.

But this week in Switzerland, Rafa Cabrera-Bello is making the most of it, especially by taking the opportunity to play some of the rarest irons in golf.

The four-time DP World Tour winner’s clubs didn’t arrive in time for this week’s Omega European Masters, so he had to scrounge together a replacement set for the first two rounds at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.

Cabrera-Bello borrowed some clubs from a member at the host club, but for his irons, he found some Titleist 681.AS irons on the Tour truck, according to the DP World Tour. The 681.AS were designed specifically for Adam Scott in 2021 as an updated version of the legendary 680 MBs, and he recently revisited them last season.

There’s only a handful of these irons in existence, but the Titleist Tour truck happened to have a set and Cabera-Bello took advantage.

The Spaniard had only made one cut in his last six starts on the DP World Tour, but with the replacement set of clubs, Cabera-Bello fired rounds of 65-66 in the first two rounds to go into the weekend four off the lead.

“I guess there’s obviously muscle memory, there’s brain memory and then now I guess there’s irons memory, because yesterday I was ranked second in the shots gained approach, so that’s probably thanks to Adam Scott for his clubs,” he said on Friday.

By Friday night, Cabrera-Bello was finally reunited with his gamers, which notably feature Titleist’s T100 irons, a fairly different profile from the 681.AS. After his best two rounds since May, he wasn’t sure what he’d actually do.

“I will probably play with mine tomorrow, but it’s been funny playing with Adam’s. It made want to go back to blades again, who knows,” he said. “I try not to be superstitious, but you know, the way I think about it is: if I play bad with someone else’s clubs, that’s fine.

“I am playing good with someone else’s clubs [at the moment], but there’s no guarantee I will play good with someone else’s clubs tomorrow. If I don’t play good tomorrow, I will always have the question: what if I would have played with my clubs? Again, you can say the inverse, but I think it makes sense to use my clubs.”

That was ultimately the decision he made for Saturday.

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“There’s a lot of engineering and hard work from the Titleist guys and I know these will be better,” he said Friday before a third-round 69. “I have more trust in my clubs than in Adam’s, although I’m very grateful.

“I will take the same scores again,” he added while laughing.

Cabrera-Bello will need one of those scores or better on Sunday as he trails Paul Casey by six shots.

But, given his performance with Scott’s blades, some testing during his next off week might be in store.

Want to overhaul your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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We have a new pole sitter in the Formula 1 history books.

Pierre Gasly earned his first pole position at the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday, Sept. 5. Monza is the same circuit where the French driver got his maiden F1 win in 2020.

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With two minutes left in Q3, the 10 remaining drivers took a moment in the garage and Gasly was sitting in third place. Once back on the track, George Russell was in the provisional pole and improved his time to 1:21.846. As the last driver to complete the circuit after time expired, Gasly bested the Brit and posted a lap of 1:21.786, giving him his first pole position.

“Let’s go! I’ve been waiting for that one!” Gasly yelled into the team radio after crossing the finish line.

Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth, came and gave Gasly a handshake after pulling into parc fermé. Then, the Alpine driver climbed out of his car and raised a fist in the air.

“It was amazing. Thank you everyone. It was an incredible quali,” Gasly said in his post-session interview. “From the first lap in Q1, I felt very good in the car. Trying to chip a little bit away every single session and then, yeah, in the end, it felt like a very good lap.

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“But I’m so happy. It’s been nine years trying to chase and get the opportunity to get a pole position. Win my first race in Monza, get my first pole position on this track I think is something special.”

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Russell will start Sunday’s race in second on the grid next to Gasly. The Mercedes driver revealed that he and Gasly were playing a game of chess moments before the qualifying session.

“He beat me there, and I thought, ‘Well, I think I’ll beat you in qualifying’ and here we are. He’s ahead of me again,” Russell laughed. “So huge congrats to him.”

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified for third, but will start in sixth place after receiving a grid penalty for impeding. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes qualified in seventh and will race from the pit lane due to an engine penalty. Piastri’s Alpine teammate, Franco Colapinto, will be in seventh, one place in front of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who has won the last two races.

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Gasly’s accomplishment came a day after his Monaco podium was taken away three months after the race. Initially, the French driver finished third in the historic grand prix. Moments after the podium celebration, he was given two 10-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane. He dropped to seventh place and Red Bull Racing’s Isack Hadjar was elevated to third. Alpine requested for the penalties to be reviewed and they won their petition, reinstating Gasly to third place. Red Bull Racing and McLaren filed their own petition to have the penalties reinstated, and they won.

Gasly has been racing for Alpine, a French outfit, since 2023. A year ago, he signed a contract extension through 2028. He made his Formula 1 debut in 2017 at the Malaysian Grand Prix as a replacement for Daniil Kvyat on the Toro Rosso team (which became AlphaTauri and is now Racing Bulls).

Does Pierre Gasly have a Formula 1 win?

Yes, Pierre Gasly’s lone F1 win came at Monza, the same circuit where he captured his first pole position. He won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix for AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls).

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How many F1 podiums does Pierre Gasly have?

Pierre Gasly has five podiums in Formula 1, including his lone win at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.

• 2nd place – 2019 Brazil Grand Prix with Toro Rosso

• 1st place – 2020 Italian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri

• 3rd place – 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with AlphaTauri

• 3rd place – 2023 Dutch Grand Prix with Alpine

• 3rd place – 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix with Alpine

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pierre Gasly gets first pole position in Formula 1 after Monaco controversy

“Efficient” is defined as being “productive of desired effects,” especially “capable of producing desired results with little or no waste.” A thesaurus says that Josh Hoover’s debut for the Indiana Hoosiers suffices.

Making his first start at quarterback for the defending-champion Hoosiers on Saturday afternoon against the North Texas Mean Green, Hoover threw for 231 yards and four touchdowns, posted a 285.0 passer rating and completed 81.2% of his passes (13 for 16). According to FOX Sports Research, it’s the first time in the 21st century a quarterback threw for four-plus touchdowns in their first start for Indiana.

Hoover even played through blood gushing out of his face following a second-quarter sack.

“Our goal today was to come out, operate, just compete and play our game at a high level, not hurt ourselves and take advantage of the opportunities we got, and I thought we did that today,” Hoover told FOX Sports Reporter Jenny Taft after the 52-16 Indiana win.

“Obviously, there’s going to be things to clean up, like there is every week, but I thought it was a good start for our guys. And I’m happy for everybody.”

So, who is the fifth-year senior quarterback?

Hoover, who grew up in Heath, Texas, was a consensus three-star recruit in the Class of 2022. He ranked 42nd among quarterbacks in his class, per 247Sports. 

Ironically, Hoover originally committed to play for Indiana in 2021 before ultimately going to TCU.

Hoover transferred to Indiana in January after four years with the TCU Horned Frogs (2022-25).

After sitting behind Max Duggan in TCU’s run to the national championship in 2022, Hoover became the Horned Frogs’ primary quarterback for three seasons in the wake of starter Chandler Morris suffering a knee injury in Oct. 2023. Last year (2025), Hoover totaled 3,472 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 153.4 passer rating, while completing 65.9% of his passes.

Over Hoover’s three seasons as TCU’s starting quarterback, he averaged 3,209.0 passing yards, 23.7 passing touchdowns, 11.0 interceptions and a 147.8 passer rating per year, while completing 65.1% of his passes. The Horned Frogs went a combined 19-12 in the games Hoover started.

In each of Curt Cignetti’s three seasons as Indiana’s head coach (2024-26), the Hoosiers found their starting quarterback in the transfer portal, a pattern that Hoover’s arrival continues.

In 2024, Indiana had Ohio Bobcats transfer Kurtis Rourke under center for a season that saw the Hoosiers go 11-2 and reach the College Football Playoff. Rourke led the Big Ten with a 176.0 passer rating and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Then, Indiana turned to former California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who went on to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy, lead the Hoosiers to their first-ever national championship and become the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Croatia legend Luka Modric will be continuing his international career after the FIFA World Cup, making himself available for UEFA Nations League fixtures against Czechia, FIFA World Cup champions Spain, and England, confirmed the country’s football governing body on Saturday. Croatian Football Federation confirmed the availability of the 40-year-old football legend on their official X handle. “Croatia captain Luka Modric will be included in the upcoming national team squad for Nations League encounters with Czechia, Spain, and England!” posted the federation’s account on their X handle. 

“Modric has confirmed to head coach Slaven Bilic and HNS president Marijan Kustic his availability for the Nations League and is ready to continue his fascinating international career, with 202 caps and historic achievements,” they added.

Speaking about Modric’s decision to continue, coach Bilic said, “Of course, this Luka’s decision makes me extremely happy, we are all aware what he brings to Croatia, both on and off the pitch. I am looking forward to working with him again, after 14 years, and we both share a strong ambition to keep Croatia a top, successful team, shoulder to shoulder with the best teams in the world”

Currently playing for AC Milan in Serie A, he has made two appearances in the new season, not having made any goals and assists so far. 

In the FIFA World Cup this year, Modric captained his side to a round-of-32 finish, losing to Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal. In four matches, he produced five chances and delivered one assist. 

UEFA Nations League 2026/27 will start from September 24 onwards. Croatia, the 2018 FIFA World Cup runners-up, finished as runners-up in the competition in 2022-23 edition, losing to Spain.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Ryan Whitney does not expect the New York Rangers to make the playoffs next season, although he believes they will be better than they were in 2025-26.

The former NHL defenseman and Spittin’ Chiclets co-host said the Rangers have too many question marks to give him confidence about their playoff chances. He still expects the race to be close and believes the health of Adam Fox could play a major role.

The Rangers are coming off a difficult 2025-26 season. They finished 34-39-9 with 77 points, placing last in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference.

“There’s a bunch of question marks. I think they’re going to be better than last year. I don’t have them getting in. I don’t. I think it’s going to be close, though. I think they’re going to come down to the wire. I think a lot depends, I guess, on Adam Fox’s health. If Adam Fox plays the whole year and pops off with 70 points, no one’s really surprised. He’s that good…I don’t have them getting in, but I think it’s going to be close.”

The Rangers were shut out seven times at Madison Square Garden. They also failed to score in each of their first three home games, setting an NHL record for the longest scoreless start by a team at home.

The New York Rangers were officially eliminated from playoff contention on March 25, 2026, during Mike Sullivan’s first season as head coach. Injuries to key players, including Fox and Igor Shesterkin, also affected the team throughout the season.

New York Rangers could have a chance to return to the playoffs

While Ryan Whitney does not expect the New York Rangers to make the playoffs, NHL insider Vin Santoro of The Big Lead sees a different outcome for New York.

Santoro included the New York Rangers among the teams he expects to still be playing after the regular season. He pointed to the addition of Pavel Dorofeyev as one reason for his prediction, noting that the forward was productive even when he was away from Vegas stars Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner.

“This team has the potential to either thrive or face challenges once more. Pavel Dorofeyev is an ideal addition for a team in need, as he possesses the ability to score at an elite level. While playing alongside stars like Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner certainly boosts his performance, Dorofeyev has also shown impressive numbers even when not on the ice with them. In the 25-26 season, he logged 403 minutes at 5v5 without either Eichel or Marner, during which Vegas achieved a 55.3 expected goals percentage and outshot their opponents by 68.”

Santoro also pointed to Alexis Lafreniere as a player the Rangers need more from this season.

“With supportive linemates, Dorofeyev is set to shine, but one player who must step up this season is Alexis Lafreniere. Despite being the first overall pick, Lafreniere has yet to meet those high expectations, and this year could be crucial for his development.”

The New York Rangers last reached the playoffs in 2024, when the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final before losing to the Florida Panthers.