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John Higgins recovers to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in Crucible epic in World Championship last 16

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Four-time winner John Higgins produced a sensational recovery from 8-3 and 9-4 down to defeat Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-12 in a final-frame Crucible epic to reach the World Championship quarter-finals.

Seven-time champion O’Sullivan was seeking an eighth title to set a new outright record in the modern era, and twice held five-frame leads in Sunday’s second session.

But Higgins won the last three frames on Sunday and maintained that form by taking the first three on Monday as O’Sullivan lost six successive frames at the Crucible for only the fifth time.

In a high-quality thriller, played out in front of an enthralled crowd, O’Sullivan won the 20th and 21st frames to regain the lead at 11-10.

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In surely the match of the tournament, and one of the best in the 49 years at the Sheffield theatre, Higgins won two frames in a row to move one away at 12-11, but O’Sullivan’s break of 81 forced a decider.

Higgins had the first chance but missed a red into the middle at 16-0 to give O’Sullivan a lifeline, before the Englishman could only score eight points and failed to pot a red.

The Scot then made a break of 49 on his way to sealing a match-winning frame, with both players getting a standing ovation as the tie finished.

The 50-year-olds are two of snooker’s fabled ‘Class of ’92’, along with 51-year-old Mark Williams, with the trio having 14 world titles between them.

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Higgins, the champion in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011, will now play either 2010 winner Neil Robertson or world number 13 Chris Wakelin.

Robertson leads 10-6, with that match played to a finish in Monday’s evening session from 19:00 BST.

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Chiefs draft review by analyst will scare entire NFL

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Chiefs draft review by analyst will scare entire NFL originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Kansas City Chiefs had two first-round selections thanks to a poor 2025 season and the trading of star corner Trent McDuffie.

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Chiefs general manager Brett Veach knew he had an opportunity to turbo-charge the roster reset, and it was a huge chance to put Kansas City back on the map.

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And he did just that with corner Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods being selected in the first round. Plus, R Mason Thomas in the later round, the Chiefs hit on their early picks.

So much so that CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco thinks Kansas City nailed the draft.

“The Chiefs killed this draft,” Prisco wrote. “They traded up to land the top corner in Mansoor Delane, then landed defensive tackle Peter Woods later in the first, and followed up with Thomas. It was a great first two rounds.”

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More:Analyst has interesting choice for Bills’ best draft pick

Chiefs in good spot for 2026 bounce back

The Chiefs addressed their needs superbly. They got a starting corner, a starting-caliber defensive tackle, plus an edge rusher to help Chris Jones and George Karlaftis.

Now, all that is needed is for the Chiefs to welcome back Patrick Mahomes for Week 1, and all will be right in the world.

Granted, it won’t be as easy as they, but the Chiefs have had the sort of offseason they needed after the 2025 debacle.

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Now, there’s a real chance that the NFL only got a one-season reprieve from the AFC’s apex predator.

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“Nobody’s business” – Paige Bueckers Finally Addresses Buzz Around Azzi Fudd While Denying Relationship Ties in Wings’ Rookie Signing

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Dallas Wings guards Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd have been among the biggest focuses on the team. The media have been curious about their relationship and how the couple’s dynamic will be on the team. This happened during Fudd’s press conference, when the Dallas Morning News’ Kevin Sherrington asked the rookie about her relationship.

On Monday, Bueckers decided to take matters into her own hands. During a press conference, she addressed the buzz around her and Fudd. She said that she will address it only once, and the Wings star will refer to her remarks if it resurfaces during the regular season.

“Quite frankly, me and Azzi’s personal relationship, is nobody’s business but our own,” Bueckers said. “And what we choose to share is completely up to us. But as media members, I understand you have a job to do, and you guys have to ask questions about the basketball aspect of it.

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“Me and Azzi have always been the utmost professional. We’ve always conducted ourselves as such, and we’d never let anything that happens off the court carry onto the court.”

Bueckers added that Fudd was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft because she deserved it and that her relationship did not affect the Wings’ decision.

Their relationship was brought up when Sherrington asked Fudd if they had reached out to other couples who are teammates in the WNBA. He was curious to know if they had contacted them to ask how they could make things work as teammates while being in a relationship.

However, the reporter was shut down by a Wings staff member. According to the organization, questions should only be about Fudd’s WNBA career.

Paige Bueckers Wants to Improve This Season

After a strong rookie season, Paige Bueckers is excited for her sophomore year. The former UConn standout said on Friday that she wants to work on a few aspects of her game.

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“Just the little things, taking no possessions off,” she said. “Being in better shape so I can do that. I think obviously coming off the college season, going straight to the W season was tough.”

Bueckers wants to make sure she covers a lot this season to set a standard for the team. She said that she views herself as a leader, and she wants her teammates to trust her to do the little things on the floor.

Last year, Paige Bueckers was named the Rookie of the Year, made the All-WNBA second team and played in the All-Star Game. She averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 36 games.