Maria Sakkari stuns Swiatek to reach Doha Semifinal
Maria Sakkari delivered one of the biggest wins of her career by defeating world No. 2 Iga Swiatek 2–6, 6–4, 7–5 to reach the semifinals of the Qatar Open.
The victory ended a difficult run for Sakkari, who had lost four straight matches and nine consecutive sets to Swiatek.
It was her first win over Swiatek since 2021, her first win over a world No. 2 since 2022, and her first WTA 1000 semifinal since Indian Wells 2024. She also became the first player ever to beat Swiatek at a WTA 1000 event after losing the opening set.
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After dropping the first set, Sakkari found her rhythm in the second, closing it out 6–4 before holding her nerve in a tight deciding set to seal the upset.
Speaking after the match, Sakkari opened up about the mental struggle behind the result.
“I’m speechless because it’s been a while since I’ve had a big day like today. When you drop in the rankings and you’re not playing good tennis, you start doubting yourself. You’re thinking you’re never gonna beat those players again. It’s a huge process that you have to go through in your head that you can do it. Last year in the second round against her, I was not confident. I was not believing in myself. This year it’s different. I have to say I feel a lot better.”
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The win marks the 30th top-10 victory of Sakkari’s career and a major boost in confidence as she moves into the Doha semifinals.
Florida basketball (18-6, 9-2) moved up to No. 7 on the NET rankings following a 20-point win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Wednesday night, the Gators‘ fourth-straight blowout win against an SEC team.
The Gators are now ahead of top-10 staples UConn and Iowa State, who sit at Nos. 8 and 9, respectively. Florida notably lost to the Huskies in early December by four points, but UF has steadily climbed the NET rankings from No. 33 back on Nov. 30. Florida has spent the last week ranked inside the top 10 and is now approaching the top five. Florida is one of two teams in the top 12 with five or more losses, the other being No. 5 Illinois (20-5).
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Four of Florida’s seven remaining regular-season games are against Quadrant 1 teams, including Saturday’s home matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats, so the Gators have several chances to break into the top five.
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Breaking down Florida’s wins by Quadrant
Before going into Florida’s resume, it’s important to understand how the quadrants are divided. Where a game is played has as much to do with the quadrant as the quality of the opponent. As the rankings change, so does the quality of the wins.
Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353
Quadrant 1 Games
Florida is 7-5 in Quadrant 1 games.
Non-conference losses came against No. 1 Arizona, No. 3 Duke and No. 8 UConn. All three are considered very good losses. The Gators’ non-conference Q1 win came against No. 36 Miami at a neutral site (Jacksonville) and No. 47 TCU. The Hurricanes are firmly in Quadrant 1, while the Horned Frogs recently moved back within the top-50 threshold.
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Several of Florida’s SEC games were against Q1 opponents. The Missouri (No. 57) loss on the road remains in Quadrant 1, which is good for the Gators, but Auburn remains just outside of the top 30, dropping out of Q1 territory. The Q1 conference wins came against No. 15 Vanderbilt, No. 21 Alabama, No. 22 Tennessee, No. 43 Texas A&M and No. 73 Oklahoma. The most recent win over No. 35 Georgia came on the road, which makes it a Quadrant 1 win.
Quadrant 2 Games
In Quadrant 2 games, Florida is 5-1, with wins over No. 35 Georgia, No. 58 LSU — both at home — and at No. 112 South Carolina (road) during conference play. The other two Q2 wins came during the non-conference schedule against No. 77 Providence and No. 91 George Washington, both at a neutral site.
Florida’s lone Quadrant 2 losses came against No. 31 Auburn. The Tigers are one spot away from reentering Quadrant 1 territory, however.
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Quadrant 3 and 4 games
The only Quadrant 3 game Florida has played in so far was a home game against No. 95 Florida State. The Seminoles have trended down most of the season but recently climbed more than 40 spots in the NET. The Seminoles still need to get to No. 75 to reach Q2.
Florida went 5-0 against Q4 teams, beating No. 187 Merrimack, No. 198 Colgate, No. 236 Dartmouth, No. 339 North Florida and No. 353 Saint Francis by an average of 33.6 points.
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Matt Weston is overjoyed after winning his first Winter Olympic title and Team GB’s first medal of the 2026 games in the men’s skeleton event at Milan-Cortina.
“It looks like this train has left,” the 27-year-old, draped in the Ukrainian flag, told reporters after emerging from a two-and-a-half-hour hearing in Milan.
“I cannot do another race so it is done.”
He said he had no plans to return to the sliding venue during these Winter Olympic Games but still felt he had done the right thing by trying to compete with a helmet adorned with portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia’s war on their country.
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‘I hope truth will prevail’
“I’m really thankful for the opportunity to speak and we were treated equally at the hearing room and arguments were heard.
“We are waiting for the decisions, but as you see I look pretty happy so I’m pretty positive about how it went. I hope truth will prevail and still I know that I was innocent.”
The appeal was heard on Friday morning by an ad hoc division of the Swiss-based court, which was moved by his story but ruled against him anyway.
The arbitrator, CAS said, “is fully sympathetic to Mr. Heraskevych’s commemoration and to his attempt to raise awareness for the grief and devastation suffered by the Ukrainian people, and Ukrainian athletes because of the war.”
Olympic Charter Rule 50
Heraskevych was prevented from competing in the men’s skeleton, which began on Thursday, due to a ruling by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the helmet he had intended to wear violated Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter. It states that: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
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The medals in men’s skeleton were to be awarded later on Friday.
The helmet in question bears the portraits of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
He had worn the helmet in his five training runs – each time placing among the top six.
The IOC interpreted the depictions of the killed Ukrainian athletes as a political statement, something that the skeleton racer disputes.
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“I am convinced that we are not breaking any rules. I also believe that we have had and continue to have this attention all these days because people understand that we are on the right side and have not broken any rules,” he said.
Solidarity from Ukrainian lugers, President Zelenskyy
The Ukrainian luge relay team expressed solidarity with Heraskevych during their competition on Thursday. In the finish area, the six athletes knelt together, held up their helmets, and shouted: “Vlad, we are with you, Ukraine, we stand with you.”
Members of the Ukrainian mixed relay luge team raised their helmets in solidarity with HeraskevychImage: Robert Michael/dpa/picture alliance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that he will award Heraskevych a medal of merit.
On the X platform, he sharply criticized the IOC, writing that “Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors.”
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A group of around 40 members of the European Parliament have also sent an open letter to the IOC, calling on it to reconsider its decision.
IOC ‘open to everything’
Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry, who had personally delivered the news of Heraskevych’s ban to the athlete on Thursday, said there were no immediate plans to review the rules governing political expression.
“I have had a number of conversations with athletes over the last couple of days. They still feel strongly that we should be able to keep part of our Olympic movement, and their Olympic experience, safe,” Coventry told a Friday press conference.
“If our athletes would like us to look at it (the rules), we are open to everything. But the rules are the rules as of today, and I believe they are good rules.
Newly minted FBS school North Dakota State found itself in a position similar to Alabama fans during the heyday of Nick Saban’s dynasty: It simply won too much. The school has captured 10 national championships in 15 years. Within the fan base, the expectation is not just success, but success at the highest level.
Attendance for early-round home playoff games that NDSU is expected to win handily has suffered. This year’s loss to Illinois State drew an official attendance of 10,464 to the 19,000-seat Fargodome, roughly half full. Despite five interceptions from Redbirds quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, the No. 1 Bison lost. It marked the first time NDSU had fallen before the quarterfinal round since 2009 and the first time a No. 1 seed lost its playoff opener since 2004.
Few knew it at the time, but it was NDSU’s final game at the FCS level. A process that began ramping up in late fall accelerated in January, when athletic director Matt Larsen began to believe the program was moving up from the division it had dominated since 2004. For a segment of the Bison fan base, the move to FBS will provide a new challenge.
“I do think there’s an element of our fan base of what’s next we’ve had great success, is there a next iteration at a higher level for Bison football?” NDSU AD Matt Larsen told CBS Sports. “And so I think that’s where, if you would ask me, six or seven years ago, where the fan base was, they probably weren’t there yet, right? But four national championships later, and I think the majority of Bison nation would tell you that this is the right next step, and it’s the right time to do it.”
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To compete in the FBS, North Dakota State has to be up to par not only on the field, but also financially. NDSU will pay $5 million to the NCAA to transition and a $12.5 million entry fee to the Mountain West over six years.
Consider the Fargodome. the longtime home to the Bison is owned by the city of Fargo and requires voter approval for renovations. A referendum has failed twice in recent years. Larsen said the Fargodome has a reserve fund earmarked for renovations, but the 32-year-old building needs updates, particularly for more premium seating. A pending convention center project — which may or may not be located at the Fargodome site — also factors into the decision-making.
North Dakota State opened a 117,000-square-foot, $54 million football facility in 2022. Its total athletic department budget is about $30 million annually, and Sportico reported the school spent $8.4 million on football in the last fiscal year. Larsen expects that figure to double within two years, accounting for staffing, scholarships, revenue sharing and coaching compensation.
The school’s primary athletics fundraising arm said it has “tentatively raised” $25 million for the move. NDSU does not expect to add sports to offset the increase in football scholarships from 65 to 85 upon moving to FBS.
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The school will receive a full share of Mountain West television revenue by 2032, but as CBS Sports previously reported, it will collect 50% of College Football Playoff and bowl revenue distributed to full members this year and 100% after its second postseason appearance. The school plans to challenge the NCAA’s two-year probationary period that bars it from postseason play.
As with many realignment cases, the loss of tradition is part of the cost. South Dakota State and North Dakota State have met 118 times and have played for the Dakota Marker trophy since 2004. The rivalry has often determined FCS supremacy, with one or both teams ranked in the top five when they meet. After the 2022 season, they faced each other in the national championship game.
“I would say for the foreseeable future, it’s probably on hold,” Larsen said. “I think our rivalry was one out of really great respect between programs that did it the right way. And so I think there’s so many positives to this move, I think the one thing you could say that our fans are going to miss it’s playing for the Dakota Marker, because there were some epic games over the course of the last 10-15, years that have created great memories and great opportunities for our fans.”
As one FCS administrator cautioned to CBS Sports, there is a “careful what you wish for” element to moving up — trading double-digit win seasons and championship runs for years that could end in a lower-tier bowl game in a far-flung locale that is difficult to reach. The novelty can be appealing at first, but it fades without winning.
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Still, there is reason for optimism about the Bison’s ability to compete quickly. Programs with less FCS pedigree have made successful transitions in recent years.
The newest FCS-to-FBS members, Delaware and Missouri State, both finished 7-5 and reached bowl games in their debut seasons. After struggling in its 2024 debut, Kennesaw State went 10-2 under new coach Jerry Mack and won a conference championship over Jacksonville State, which moved up in 2023 and has won at least eight games in each of its first three FBS seasons under two different coaches. Sam Houston also moved up in 2023 and, in its second year, narrowly missed a Conference USA title while winning 10 games. James Madison transitioned in 2022 under Curt Cignetti and has won at least eight games every year since. The 2025 season under Bob Chesney culminated in a College Football Playoff berth.
The relative ease of those transitions raises questions about the gap between the top half of the FCS and the Group of Five conferences.
In many respects, North Dakota State accomplished all it could at the FCS level. Now, the FBS journey begins.
After Dplus’ recent victory over DRX, Gen.G has chosen the former as its next opponent for the League of Legends LCK Cup 2026 Playoffs. Since this best-of-five series is not an elimination match, the loser will fall to the lower bracket. On the other hand, the winning team will proceed to the next stage and face the victor of the T1-FEARX series.
Here are the details about the Gen.G vs Dplus clash in the League of Legends LCK Cup 2026 Playoffs taking place on February 14, 2026.
Gen.G vs Dplus in League of Legends LCK Cup 2026 Playoffs: Can Dplus stop Gen.G’s impeccable winning streak?
Prediction
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With the same roster as last year, Gen.G is yet to lose a game and has shown exceptional dominance in the LCK Cup 2026 so far. Furthermore, it already defeated Dplus 2-0 earlier in the tournament, with top laner Kiinoutclassing the opponent with the Gwen and Rumble picks.
That said, all five of Gen.G’s players are performing admirably and have a vast champion pool. Ryu, the team’s head coach, is also doing an excellent job during the draft phase. Overall, the team excels at capitalizing on opponents’ mistakes while making few early-game misplays themselves.
Dplus, on the other hand, finished second in the group and then beat DRX twice to reach this stage. Despite the team being a force to be reckoned with, there’s a major problem regarding its consistency.
Dplus usually dominates the early game and secures a gold lead, but fails to snowball in the later stages and occasionally makes schoolboy errors. So, if the team’s laning phases go well and the players mitigate the mistakes, the series against Gen.G can certainly be competitive.
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But the probability of that is too low, as Gen.G is clinical at securing neutral objectives and winning crucial team fights. On paper, the series should be a quick 3-0 for Chovy and co.
Prediction: Gen.G 3 – 0 Dplus
Head-to-head record
Gen.G has won 15 of the 16 games between these two teams, while Dplus has only won once.
Previous results
Gen.G won its earlier series 3-0 against Hanwha Life. On the other hand, Dplus won 3-2 against DRX.
United States’ Nosthush Kenjige celebrates the wicket of Netherlands’ Michael Levitt during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Netherlands and United States in Chennai, India, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP)
The United States secured a 93-run win over the Netherlands in a group-stage match of the T20 World Cup on Friday, riding on Saiteja Mukkamalla’s 79 and a four-wicket spell from former India U-19 cricketer Harmeet Singh. It was USA’s first T20I victory against the Netherlands.Mukkamalla’s 51-ball 79 anchored the innings as USA posted 196 for 6 in 20 overs. Shubham Ranjane contributed 48 not out from 24 balls to push the total close to 200.
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In reply, the Netherlands were bowled out for 103 in 15.5 overs. Left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh returned figures of 4 for 21, the best by a USA bowler in a T20 World Cup match.Harmeet did not extract sharp turn but benefited from errors by the batters. Opener Max O’Dowd (13) and all-rounder Bas de Leede (23) were dismissed off short deliveries that were hit to fielders. He also bowled a flat delivery that beat captain Scott Edwards and another straight ball that trapped Roelof de Merwe lbw.Left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige accounted for Michael Levitt with a ball that stayed low.Chasing on a surface that slowed as the match progressed, the Netherlands did not build partnerships and fell well short of the target.Earlier, Mukkamalla set the platform with his 79. He shared a 55-run stand for the second wicket with captain Monank Patel (36) and added 54 for the fourth wicket with Ranjane.Mukkamalla, who trained at the academy run by VVS Laxman in Hyderabad, struck five fours and four sixes. He scored freely through the off side, including shots over cover.Ranjane attacked in the closing overs and handled the short-ball approach used by the Netherlands bowlers. He hit Roelof van der Merwe for a straight six and pulled both Bas de Leede and Logan van Beek.At one stage, with Mukkamalla and Ranjane at the crease, USA were positioned for a total beyond 200. However, van Beek and de Leede varied their pace on the Chepauk surface to restrict further damage.Bas de Leede, son of former Netherlands seamer Tim de Leede, finished with figures of 3 for 37.
Serena Williams back in training after Super Bowl Ad
Serena Williams has responded to criticism surrounding her Super Bowl commercial by sharing a training clip on social media, showing her practising pole fitness.
The 44 years old appeared in an advert aired during Super Bowl LX, promoting a weight management service from telehealth company Ro. The commercial drew mixed reactions online, with some fans criticising the former tennis champion for endorsing weight loss medication.
Days later, Williams posted a short video on Instagram Stories, captioning it, “I’m back to training on my two favourite devices.”
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Williams has previously spoken about changes to her body following childbirth and life after professional tennis. She retired from the sport in 2022 as a 23 time Grand Slam singles champion and remains one of the most influential figures in women’s sport.
While the advert sparked discussion across social media, Williams has not directly addressed the criticism beyond continuing to share aspects of her training and lifestyle.
Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks on before the 2026 NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Sam Darnold just completed the ultimate reclamation this past weekend, winning the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.
It’s a far cry from where his career stood just a couple years ago when he was mostly known for “seeing ghosts” with the New York Jets before becoming a primary backup QB for both the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers.
Now, after starting his comeback with the Minnesota Vikings last season with a 14-3 record and a playoff berth, Darnold is now standing on the football mountaintop. But could there be other QBs set to follow a similar trajectory in the next few years?
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Mac Jones
Dec 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Mac Jones feels like the most obvious choice of this bunch right now. He is heading into free agency this offseason after spending a season with the San Francisco 49ers; the exact position Darnold was in before he headed to Minnesota.
After being selected with the 15th overall pick in 2021, Jones had one solid season with the New England Patriots, which just so happened to be his rookie year. Since then, Jones has not surpassed thresholds of 3000 yards or 20 touchdowns in a season.
However, we may have seen a bit of a turning point with Jones with the 49ers this year. In eight starts, San Francisco went 5-3, and he completed a career high 69.6% of his passes while averaging nearly 269 passing yards per game in those starts. Stretched to 17 games, that pace would have given him about 4571 yards, which would have ranked second in the NFL behind only MVP Matthew Stafford.
Now Jones is set to hit free agency to try and get a full-time starting job somewhere. If he lands in a competent organization with a solid structure in place, he could easily be the next QB to follow the Darnold path.
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Tua Tagovailoa
Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) takes the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Miami Dolphins seem to be on the verge of giving up on Tua Tagovailoa after another losing season in which the offense scuffled mightily. Or, maybe new faces on the coaching staff could be what Tua needs to revive his career with the Dolphins.
There certainly is talent within Tua, especially when we think back to that 2023 campaign in which he led then NFL with 4624 passing yards, threw 29 touchdowns, and completed 69.3% of his passes while leading Miami to a playoff berth.
It’s been a long fall since that point, and in 2025, he was benched for Quinn Ewers.
The problem with projecting a ton of success with Tua moving forward is his concussion history. The QB managed to stay clean in 2025, but he has suffered at least four documented concussions to this point in his career. If he is able to stay injury free moving forward, there is a decent chance that he can put together strong football seasons either in Miami or elsewhere, but that is no guarantee at this point.
Zach Wilson
Jul 29, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Zach Wilson (0) throws the football during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The ties between Darnold and Zach Wilson are undeniable. Both were top five picks by the New York Jets, and both were stuck with a franchise that offered little to no support. Furthermore, Wilson was brought in immediately after the Jets decided they were done with Darnold.
After three failed seasons with the Jets, Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in the spring of 2024 where he spent the season as a backup in Sean Payton’s offense behind Bo Nix. He was then released last spring and signed by the Miami Dolphins.
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Now, Wilson is hitting free agency for the second straight year looking to find his chance to get real reps at the NFL level again. Perhaps two years of being able to sit back and learn have him in a better head space than he was in while with the Jets.
Malik Willis
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) on the sideline following an injury against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, December 27, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Ravens defeated the Packers 41-24. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
There’s been some growing hype around Malik Willis’ future in 2026 after filling in for a game against the Chicago Bears and starting against the Baltimore Ravens.
It was for good reason as the former 2022 third-round pick put together some very strong games in those two weeks, completing a ridiculous 27-of-32 passes while throwing for 409 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions. He also added 19 carries for 104 additional yards and two rushing touchdowns.
That came after a 2024 campaign in which he started two games and played a chunk of the Week 18 game against the Chicago Bears. He was equally sniper-esque with his passing, completing 74.1% of his passes during the year for 550 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also added 20 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown.
Willis comes from a 2022 QB class that is remembered as being one of the worst over the past decade, but maybe he can glimmer of hope that someone from that year’s draft can remain a solid starter after a failed stint with the Tennessee Titans.
Elite rider James McDonald succeeded in reducing his whip breach penalty through an appeal process, making him available for the Silver Slipper program at Rosehill.
Racing NSW authorities imposed a 10-day suspension and $20,000 fine on McDonald due to whip overuse riding the Chris Waller runner Fireball in the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) from Randwick on Saturday.
Rulings showed nine whip uses prior to the 100m, four over the Australian Rules of Racing cap, amounting to 20 in all.
The jockey conveyed his dismay at the sanction during the stewards’ hearing that day, deeming it “harsh”, and then pursued an appeal before the Racing NSW Appeals Panel on Wednesday.
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The proceeding took under two hours, as stewards highlighted the fault with an unseasoned, young horse.
Upon weighing the evidence, the Panel lowered the ban from 10 to six days while doubling the fine to $40,000.
The season’s premier Sydney jockey gets to ride in the vital Silver Slipper and Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill on February 21, with no Saturday metropolitan meetings lost.
