Ronnie O’Sullivan thumped the table in frustration as John Higgins reeled in the seven-time world snooker champion in an enthralling second session of their second round match at the Crucible on Sunday night.

O’Sullivan twice led by five frames and looked set to cruise towards the quarter-finals at the expense of the out-of-sorts Scot, before Higgins drew on his decades of top-level experience to end the evening just two adrift at 9-7.

A pivotal final frame of the session proved too much for O’Sullivan, who gave the cushion a painful rap with his knuckles after missing an early red, before Higgins edged over the line to finish much the happier of the two players.

Higgins never got going in the early stages, but clawed out frame 14 despite fluffing an attempted escape from a snooker, and never looked back. He reeled in a 55-point deficit in the next, then held his nerve in an edgy last frame of the night in which both players went in-off at crucial moments.

Wu Yize fashioned a 9-7 lead over four-time champion Mark Selby in an intriguing clash that is also set to conclude on Monday afternoon.

Selby had threatened to overwhelm his opponent after firing successive centuries in the first two frames, but the 22-year-old Wu hit back to haul level at 4-4 after their opening session.

And it was the Chinese player who dominated upon their return in the evening, pulling clear at 9-6 before Selby chiselled out the final frame of the night to keep himself within touching distance.

Earlier, defending champion Zhao Xintong moved closer to cracking the so-called ‘Crucible Curse’ by booking his place back in the quarter-finals with a 13-9 win over compatriot Ding Junhui.

Zhao shrugged off some evident nerves to build on a 9-7 overnight advantage despite losing an error-strewn, 46-minute opener that saw Ding temporarily reduce the arrears to a single frame.

The 29-year-old – looking to become the first first-time winner to retain his title at the Crucible – capitalised on a series of misses by his opponent to pull away, a break of 108 in the penultimate frame helping seal a last eight clash with Shaun Murphy.

“Today I think there was more pressure,” Zhao told BBC Sport. “I know Ding didn’t play very well in the last session but the pressure is very big. This year I just don’t want to lose any match so it feels very different.”

World number one Judd Trump inched closer to booking his place in the quarter-finals after establishing a 9-7 overnight lead in a pulsating contest against Iran’s Hossein Vafaei.

Resuming at 4-4, Trump struggled to get into his stride as his inspired opponent edged 7-6 in front, but Trump responded brilliantly, a century followed by further breaks of 74 and 94 seeing him end their second session with a precious advantage.

Neil Robertson took advantage of a controversial moment in the 14th frame of his clash with Chris Wakelin to move four clear at 10-6 ahead of Monday’s conclusion.

Wakelin was well in the ascendency when he potted a long red, but a foul was called by referee Peggy Li who noticed him feather the yellow ball in the process.

Wakelin clearly did not agree with the referee’s call but the decision stood after Li called for a replay, and Robertson capitalised to take the frame with a 65 break, before further breaks of 65 and 101 took him to the brink of his first last eight appearance since 2021.

Manchester United welcome Brentford to Old Trafford on Monday night as they aim to take another step towards Champions League qualification

07:00, 27 Apr 2026

Manchester United return to Premier League action on Monday night as they welcome Brentford to Old Trafford. United will be boosted by the return of Harry Maguire to their squad with the defender back after serving a two-match suspension. Lisandro Martinez will serve the second game of his three-match ban tonight after being sent off against Leeds.

Michael Carrick was hopeful of having Leny Yoro back to take on Brentford. The France international missed training last week with a minor niggle. Patrick Dorgu is making good progress but will not be fit for the game while Matthijs de Ligt has just returned to individual training.

Matheus Cunha also missed training on Thursday due to a recovery day. There is no suggestion he will be unavailable tonight. MEN Sport has asked our United writers for their preferred teams for this evening.

Tyrone Marshall

Carrick seemed unsure if Yoro would be fit for this game. Either way, I don’t think you need to risk him. Ayden Heaven was excellent against Chelsea and with Maguire back from suspension those two can play, with Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw at full-back.

The midfield picks itself at the moment. Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo is an excellent partnership and Mainoo will want to relish every minute he gets to play next to the five-time Champions League winner. Bruno Fernandes will be looking for another assist as the No. 10.

Benjamin Sesko has started the last couple and he did score against these opponents earlier in the season. I was tempted to change it up, but I’ll stick with the Slovenian leading the line, with Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha out wide.

Steven Railston

Heaven and Maguire will start together for the first time in a back four, but that is not a concern given Heaven’s strong performance at Stamford Bridge. The young defender should look even better alongside the experienced Maguire.

I would make no other changes to the starting XI. The midfield picks itself and Amad seems a tad out of form, which means an attack of Mbeumo, Sesko and Cunha is the best choice to take on Brentford.

Sesko scored his first United goal against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium in September. The striker enjoyed a purple patch at the start of 2026, but he has not found the net in three games and would love a goal tonight.

Jack Flintham

United’s makeshift defence at Chelsea last week served them well but I would be tempted to make a change. Heaven impressed at centre-back and deserves to keep his place while Yoro returns to full fitness.

Maguire’s return is timely and starting him alongside Heaven seems a good option. Noussair Mazraoui may be unlucky to miss out but Dalot was impressive at Stamford Bridge.

Otherwise, it makes sense to stick with the same team. Mbeumo and Cunha were both impressive against Chelsea while Sesko continues to strengthen with every game.

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IPL 2026 witnessed its first Super Over on Sunday. Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mohammed Shami’s last-ball six against Kolkata Knight Riders ensured the match entered the Super Over after the scores were tied at 155 apiece. Quite surprisingly, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram came out to bat against KKR veteran Sunil Narine. Pooran has been in awful form in IPL 2026, with scores of 8, 1, 13, 19, 1, 9 and 22 before Sunday’s clash. He was dismissed for 9 in regulation time, and yet LSG sent him out to take on the wily Sunil Narine in the Super Over. Pooran was bowled on the very first delivery, and KKR made full use of the momentum swing.

On the third ball of the Super Over, Markram was dismissed as well, leaving KKR with a target of just two runs. Rinku Singh then hit a four off the first ball to seal a memorable win for his team. South African pace great Dale Steyn was furious with LSG for not opting for other in-form batters and send Pooran.

“It was a criminal decision to send Nicholas Pooran in the Super Over. It could have gone either way for them, but at this stage of the tournament, you want to win. I don’t think you should send a batter who hasn’t scored runs the entire season. You send the batter who has been hitting the ball out of the ground, and you trust them to do that. You back them. I don’t think Nicholas Pooran himself believes he can do it with the kind of form he’s in,” Steyn said on Star Sports.

“It’s unfortunate because he is such a wonderful player. But when you want to get your season back up and running – when you want to resurrect your season – you don’t make blunders like that, not at this level,” he added.

Both the Super Giants and the Knight Riders finished on 155 after a total of 40 overs were bowled. It was Rinku Singh’s well-paced 83 not out off 51 balls that proved to be the catalyst for KKR’s total of 155 for 7 earlier.

Once LSG restricted KKR to that modest total, courtesy Mohsin Khan’s five-wicket haul, they had an excellent opportunity to register a rare home victory.

However, the hosts stumbled against a disciplined Kolkata bowling attack on a slow black-soil pitch.

The result pushed KKR to eighth on the points table with five points, while LSG slumped to the bottom with four points.

The Super Giants boast several big names in their squad – skipper Rishabh Pant, Markram, Mitchell Marsh and Pooran – but none of them were able to provide direction or shape to LSG’s chase.

Pant (42) and Markram (31) looked in good touch as they added 57 runs for the second wicket after the early departure of Marsh. However, Markram fell to Cameron Green‘s pace-off delivery, while Pant’s attempted reverse scoop off Narine resulted in a catch to wicketkeeper Tim Seifert.

This left LSG’s fate in the hands of young domestic players Ayush Badoni, Himmat Singh and Mukul Choudhary. They brought the equation down to 17 off the final over with a mix of luck and determination. Two successive no-balls from Kartik Tyagi further reduced the target to 12 off five deliveries.

Despite bowling two waist-high no-balls, Tyagi was allowed to continue after the second was deemed non-dangerous by the officials. He dismissed Himmat Singh, leaving LSG needing eight off the final three balls, but Mohammed Shami’s last-ball six forced the season’s first Super Over.

With PTI inputs

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IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen was on target as Galatasaray claimed a convincing 3-0 win over fierce rivals Fenerbahçe in the Istanbul derby.

Osimhen returned to action after several weeks out with an arm injury and played a key role in the important victory at Rams Park. The Nigerian forward looked sharp from the start, constantly troubling the Fenerbahçe defence with his movement and energy.

The visitors almost took the lead in the 14th minute after being awarded a penalty when Davinson Sánchez was judged to have fouled Sidiki Cherif in the box. However, Anderson Talisca missed the spot-kick, giving Galatasaray a big escape.

Osimhen kept pushing and was unlucky not to win a penalty in the 38th minute after going down under a challenge, but the referee waved play on after a VAR check.

The breakthrough came two minutes later when Mario Lemina flicked on a cross into the box. Osimhen reacted quickly, controlling the ball in an unusual way before guiding it into the net to give Galatasaray the lead.

Galatasaray stayed on top after the break and thought they had doubled their advantage through Lucas Torreira, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

The second goal eventually came in the 67th minute after Yunus Akgün was fouled in the box. Fenerbahçe were reduced to 10 men when goalkeeper Ederson was sent off. Barış Alper Yılmaz stepped up to take the penalty and calmly made it 2-0.

Torreira sealed the win in the 83rd minute after taking advantage of a defensive error to score the third goal. Osimhen was later booked after a brief clash with an opponent, but it did little to affect the outcome.

The victory puts Galatasaray in a strong position to win the Süper Lig title. They now hold a seven-point lead at the top of the table with only three matches left to play.

A single win from their remaining games will be enough to confirm them as champions, which would see Osimhen win back-to-back league titles with the club and add another major trophy to his career.

The Philadelphia Eagles have selected Nigeria’s Uar Bernard in the 2026 NFL Draft, marking a major milestone for African players in American football.

The Abuja-born player was picked 251st overall in the seventh round on Saturday night in Pittsburgh. The 21-year-old was present to witness the moment.

Bernard becomes the first Nigerian to be drafted into the National Football League and also the first African to reach the league through the International Player Pathway Program.

A defensive tackle, Bernard’s path into the sport is unusual. He was a basketball player and had never played American football before joining the programme.

His journey began after attending the 2024 NFL Nigeria camp organised by Osi Umenyiora, a two-time Super Bowl winner. He later impressed at the 2025 NFL Africa camp in Cairo and was selected for the 2026 IPP class. He then completed a 10-week training programme in Florida, which helped him earn a place in the draft.

Born in 2005, Bernard grew up in Unguwa Uku in northern Nigeria before moving to Benue State. After losing his father at 16, he worked part-time as a personal trainer to support his family. He speaks four languages and admired stars like Ronaldinho, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan while growing up.

Despite having no proper training facilities, Bernard watched videos online to learn techniques and used tree trunks to practise against imaginary opponents.

At his Pro Day, he posted impressive results, including a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, a 39-inch vertical jump and a 10ft 10in broad jump—strong numbers for his position.

The Eagles continue their interest in IPP players, following the success of Jordan Mailata, who also joined as a seventh-round pick.

Speaking after his selection, Bernard said it was a dream come true.

“I’ve worked hard for this. I believe I will keep improving every day,” he said, while thanking God for the opportunity.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said the club is ready to be patient with his development.

“He has great physical tools, but it will take time. We are willing to give him that time,” Roseman said.

Bernard is expected to begin his NFL journey with rookie and training camps in May, with a chance to feature in pre-season games in August.

Diego Pavia, the polarizing former Vanderbilt quarterback who was runner-up in Heisman voting last season, has reportedly found a home in the NFL after going undrafted this weekend.

Pavia accepted an invitation to the Baltimore Ravens’ rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, per multiple reports. He doesn’t have a spot on the roster yet, but it’s a start as he looks to crack into the NFL with Baltimore.

Of course, Lamar Jackson, the two-time MVP quarterback, is cemented as the team’s starting quarterback, but perhaps Pavia can stand out enough in rookie minicamp to earn an invitation to training camp this summer.

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Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first quarter during the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 31, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

Pavia was not expecting to be undrafted this weekend, but he became the first Heisman Trophy finalist since 2014 to not hear his name called through the seven rounds in Pittsburgh.

Pavia won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award for best upperclassman quarterback after throwing for 3,539 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, both of which single-season school records, to give the Commodores its first-ever 10-win season.

Vanderbilt just missed out on the College Football Playoff after finishing 10-3.

POLARIZING COLLEGE FOOTBALL STAR, HEISMAN TROPHY FINALIST GOES UNDRAFTED

Pavia ultimately finished second in Heisman voting to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza – the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. So, what ultimately led to Pavia not getting drafted?

While his personality may have factored in, Pavia’s official height at the NFL Scouting Combine turned some heads. Vanderbilt had him listed at 6-foot, but he was measured at 5-foot-9 7/8, which would make him the shortest quarterback in the NFL if he were to step foot on the gridiron today. The average height is 6-foot-2 for an NFL quarterback.

However, those shorter than the average have seen success, including Minnesota Vikings newest member, Kyler Murray, who went first overall to the Arizona Cardinals in 2019 coming out of Oklahoma. He’s listed at 5-foot-10.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia celebrates after the team’s win against Kentucky at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 22, 2025. (Mark Zaleski/The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Pavia barked back at critics during the Senior Bowl in January regarding his height.

“Yeah, my size has been doubted my whole life,” he said at the time, via AL.com. “I feel like the only thing the NFL cares about is can you win, and I view myself as a winner. I’ve been fortunate with all these great teams that I’ve had — we’ve never had a losing season. So that’s something to look forward to, I hope, for the rest of my career, that’s how it’s going to be.

“I feel like God has blessed me in so many ways to be a connector, and I feel like that’s one of my superpowers that I’ve got — I can connect. We unite, and then once you unite, you want to play for one another, and once you give 120% effort, there’s no one that can stop your team.”

Pavia’s personality, viewed by some as more cocky than confident, may have played a factor as well. After finishing runner-up to Mendoza in Heisman voting, Pavia was spotted at a New York City nightclub next to a sign that read, “F— Indiana.” Then, he posted on social media a photo with friends and a caption that read, “F— ALL THE VOTERS, BUT…FAMILY FOR LIFE.”

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia throws a football during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 28, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

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Pavia later apologized for his decision to post that on his socials.

No matter the case, Pavia has a shot now with the Ravens and new head coach Jesse Minter, as he aims to show enough to join the quarterbacks group in training camp. Other than Jackson, the Ravens have Tyler “Snoop” Huntley on the roster to start the season.    

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You have to hand it to the NFL for making three days of reading names off cards into the second-biggest event on the league calendar.

A record 805,000 fans visited the three-day event in Pittsburgh, with a single-day attendance record of 320,000 for Thursday’s first round.

Only the Super Bowl is bigger, and even then that’s only of serious interest to two teams, but all 32 are involved in the draft for one simple reason – hope.

The worst teams get the best picks of the college superstars and that gives them hope of a magical turnaround – and the NFL has managed to market it all as a must-see experience.

Detroit hosted 775,000 fans in 2024, Green Bay had 600,000 last year, and both were topped by Pittsburgh.

Washington DC will hope for even more next year and commissioner Roger Goodell revealed cities were lining up to win hosting duties in years to come – with representatives from 10 on scouting trips in Pittsburgh this weekend.

The NFL Draft looks set to get even bigger.

Former Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard speaks to BBC News correspondent Ione Wells about playing for Brazilian club Corinthians, and why he’s backing Michael Carrick to get the manager’s job at the Red Devils.

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