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Sabalenka downs Pegula to win US Open | The Express Tribune

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NEW YORK:

Aryna Sabalenka said she felt “super proud” to win the US Open and claim her third Grand Slam crown with a thrilling victory over a gallant Jessica Pegula in a rollercoaster final on Saturday.

World number two Sabalenka triumphed 7-5, 7-5 to add the New York title to her back-to-back Australian Open victories.

Pegula went down fighting, however, recovering from 0-3 and break point down to lead 5-3 in the second set before Sabalenka came through.

The 26-year-old from Belarus clubbed 40 winners to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to capture both hardcourt majors in the same season.

“I remember all those tough losses in the past here and it’s going to sound easy but never give up on your dream and just keep trying, keep working hard,” said Sabalenka, the runner-up last year and semi-finalist in 2022 and 2023.

“I’m speechless right now. So many times I thought I was so close to get the US Open title. It has always been a dream of mine and finally I got this beautiful trophy.

“I’m just super proud of myself. I’m super proud of my team as well.”

Pegula had arrived in New York with a title in Toronto and runner-up spot to Sabalenka in Cincinnati.

She had won 15 out of 16 matches on the North American summer hard court swing.

“I wish she would have at least let me get one set. We had a tough match in Cincinnati a few weeks ago and she’s one of the best in the world,” said the American.

“She’s super powerful and isn’t going to give you anything. She can take the racquet out of your hand.

“I’m just glad I was able to stay in there and keep taking opportunities.”

Sabalenka made a point of thanking the crowd after taking a thinly-veiled dig at the atmosphere she had faced when she defeated New York-born Emma Navarro in the semi-finals.

“Honestly guys, thank you. I heard a lot of support. You were cheering for me on those good moments but of course I expected you to cheer for Jessica. I wouldn’t be normal if you were to cheer for me,” she said.

“Thank you so much for all this support throughout this incredible two weeks.”

Sabalenka lost the 2023 US Open final to Pegula’s compatriot Coco Gauff and she struggled to settle in during the early stages on Saturday as a flurry of errors handed the home favourite a break for 2-1.

But the powerful Sabalenka levelled immediately and broke again for 4-2.

A capacity crowd of 23,000 included sporting royalty such as Olympic 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles, NBA star Steph Curry and former Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton watched on.

Most were behind Pegula but the 30-year-old was defenceless against the remorseless hitting of the world number two, whose screams echoed beneath the closed roof of the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Pegula, who had knocked out world number one Iga Swiatek and then battled from a set and break down to see off Karolina Muchova in the semi-final, clung on.

From 2-5 down, she hit back for 5-5, breaking Sabalenka as the Australian Open champion served for the set.

In a marathon 12th game, however, Pegula saved four set points but not the fifth.

Sabalenka had unleashed 25 winners and committed 23 unforced errors to Pegula’s nine and 11, illustrating a dramatic contrast of styles in the 60-minute opener.

For the second match in succession, Pegula was soon a set and break down again, a double fault allowing Sabalenka to move ahead 3-0.

Incredibly, the 30-year-old stormed back to lead 5-3 before Sabalenka broke in the 10th game as her opponent attempted to level the final.

Sabalenka held her nerve to claim victory when Pegula went long with a weary drive.

“If I can’t take confidence from this, there’s got to be something wrong,” said Pegula on her performance.

“I’m kind of annoyed. I feel I should have done better and stuff like that. But I think that will pass in a little bit.”

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2nd Women’s T20 International: Pakistan beat South Africa by 13 runs

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Multan: Pakistan defeated South Africa by 13 runs in the second Women’s T20 International.

Pakistan Women posted their highest score of 181 in the history of T20 Internationals and defeated South Africa Women by 13 runs in the second match of the T20 series.

Earlier, Pakistan’s highest score in a Women’s T20 International was 177 for five against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur in June 2018.

With this win, Pakistan also leveled the three-match series, the third and deciding match of the series will be played on Friday.

In the second match played at the Multan Cricket Stadium, South Africa won the toss and allowed Pakistan to bat first, scoring 181 runs for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs.

The South African team could only score 168 runs for four wickets in reply.

Muniba Ali and Gul Feroza gave Pakistan a 25-run start. Gul Feroza got out for 10 runs with the help of four fours. Muniba Ali batted positively and aggressively but Derrickson ended her brilliant innings of 45 off 34 balls which included six fours and two sixes.

Sidra Amin scored 28 runs with the help of three fours and a six and was bowled by Soane Lease. Nida Dar and captain Fatima Sana managed to add 60 valuable runs in the fourth wicket partnership, Dar scored 29 runs of which four fours were included.

Fatima Sana scored 37 runs with the help of three fours and two sixes while Alia Riaz scored 17 runs with the help of a six and two fours while facing seven balls and remained not out.

In South Africa’s innings, Soane Lees was the top scorer with 53 runs not out with the help of six fours and a six, Chloe Troun scored 30 runs and she also remained not out. Captain Laura Woolwart played an innings of 36 runs.

Sadia Iqbal and Nashera Sindhu took two wickets each.

Fast bowler Tasmiya Rabab replaced skipper Fatima Sana as a connection player.

It is pertinent to note that Fatima Sana was hit in the face by a ball while fielding, Muniba Ali took the lead in her absence.

Muniba Ali also won the player of the match award.

Pakistani team

Muniba Ali, Gul Feroza, Sidra Amin, Nida Dar, Fatima Sana, Alia Riaz, Sadaf Shams, Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig, Tobiah and Tooba Hassan Shama.

South Africa

Laura Wollward, Zamin Burts, Anneke Bosch, Nadine De Clerk, Sun Luce, Sinaloa Jafta, Henri Derrickson, Sessions Naidoo, Tami Sukhone, Ayanda Halbi.

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Kings revive iconic look with 2024-25 Classic Edition uniform

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The Sacramento Kings unveiled their Classic Edition jerseys on Monday in celebration of their 40th year in California.

The uniform is a return to their popular purple jersey worn from 2002 to 2008, one of the more successful eras in franchise history. Sacramento had four playoff appearances and three 50-win seasons during that span.

The uniform marked the first time “Sacramento” ran across the chest. It also included the secondary “SK” logo, which was introduced in 1994, but that didn’t feature on a uniform until appearing on the right side of the shorts on this design in 2002.

The Kings had former stars Doug Christie — who is an assistant on coach Mike Brown’s staff — and Mike Bibby help with the unveiling, which came on 916 Day, a nod to Sacramento’s area code. Christie and Bibby appeared in the video posted on social media doing a mock photoshoot and hooping around outside while wearing the uniform set.

“This 2024-25 Classic Edition is more than just a jersey — it’s a tribute to our city and the game we love,” the Kings said in a news release. “It represents our proud history and the unforgettable moments shared on the court.”

Sacramento will wear the uniform eight times at home next season. It will debut against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 24.

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Sources: 49ers RB McCaffrey on IR; out 4 games

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MINNEAPOLIS — The San Francisco 49ers placed star running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve with calf soreness and Achilles tendinitis, the team announced Saturday.

McCaffrey must miss at least the next four games — including Sunday’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings — and is eligible to return for an Oct. 10 meeting with the Seattle Seahawks on “Thursday Night Football,” though that’s not a guarantee.

On Friday, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged for the first time since initially announcing McCaffrey’s injury on Aug. 6 that injured reserve was a real possibility. That came after McCaffrey’s Achilles did not respond well to limited participation in practice Thursday.

“Yesterday was his worst day,” Shanahan said. “It’s on and off, but with yesterday having the most pain. It’s something we’re going to be discussing together in the next 24 hours.”

Those discussions ultimately led to Saturday’s decision to shut McCaffrey down in hopes that the continued flare-ups in the Achilles will settle down. Shanahan has said the hardest part of McCaffrey’s injury has been its unpredictability, with the running back feeling good and practicing some days and then feeling pain on others.

Landing on injured reserve is undoubtedly a disappointment for McCaffrey, the NFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year. As recently as Wednesday, he said he planned to play against the Vikings, explaining that his mindset every week is that he is going to be ready to go even if he is dealing with an injury.

“I hate not playing,” McCaffrey said Wednesday. “But I look at it as a chess move and something that hopefully you can benefit from the rest of the season.”

This IR stint is McCaffrey’s first since joining the 49ers via trade in October 2022. Including the postseason, McCaffrey had missed only one of 33 possible games over the previous two seasons, with the lone miss being a meaningless Week 18 game against the Los Angeles Rams in which McCaffrey was dealing with a calf injury but both teams were resting starters anyway.

Before arriving in San Francisco, McCaffrey had struggled with injuries as a member of the Carolina Panthers. In 2020 and 2021, McCaffrey played in a combined 10 games, missing games because of a high right ankle sprain, an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, a strained glute and hamstring, and a left ankle sprain.

With McCaffrey out, Jordan Mason will handle the primary running back duties after making the first start of his career last week against the New York Jets. Mason finished with 28 carries for 147 yards, both career highs, and scored a touchdown. It was the most carries in a regular-season game by a Niners player since Shanahan took over in 2017 and the most in a 49ers season opener in franchise history.

Against the Jets, the Niners used wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. as Mason’s main backup. He had eight carries for 23 yards and a touchdown. Other running back options for the 49ers include rookie Isaac Guerendo and fourth-year veteran Patrick Taylor Jr. on the active roster and fifth-year veteran Ke’Shawn Vaughn on the practice squad.

The 49ers have yet to replace McCaffrey’s spot on the 53-man roster.

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Dvalishvili wrestles away O’Malley’s title in rout

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LAS VEGAS — Merab Dvalishvili put an emphatic end to “The Suga Show” with a smothering unanimous decision win over Sean O’Malley to claim the UFC bantamweight title Saturday night in the main event of Noche UFC at Sphere.

Dvalishvili used constant movement, six takedowns and just over 10 minutes of control time to befuddle and prevent O’Malley from uncorking one of his fight-ending punches. It was a dominant performance that lacked the fireworks fans expected after witnessing a highly produced spectacle of an event.

“I know he was good, but I made him look normal,” said Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC). “I am the best bantamweight in the UFC.”

O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) was making the second defense of his 135-pound title but struggled to find any momentum outside of a few front kicks to the body in the closing minutes. Despite scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47, Dvalishvili was in control for nearly every minute.

Known for his relentless takedowns and unlimited energy, Dvalishvili went to work almost immediately and secured his first takedown three minutes into the fight and tested O’Malley’s resilience. To his credit, O’Malley worked his way back to his feet but was dragged back down to the mat shortly after and found himself trapped in a guillotine.

It was a position O’Malley, 29, hadn’t been in during his UFC tenure. The rangy fighter from Montana was used to dictating fights and has used his devastating knockout power and pinpoint accuracy to snipe the opposition. But Dvalishvili was a constantly moving target O’Malley couldn’t pick up on.

A beautiful duck-under takedown kicked off the second round for Dvalishvili, and he spent much of the round working over the champion with ground and pound. In a surprising moment, Dvalishvili inexplicably released a guillotine choke and walked away with a few seconds left in the round. O’Malley pounced on the opportunity to fire a few punches, but that was all the opportunity he would have.

It was rinse and repeat in Rounds 3 and 4, with O’Malley starting to pick up on the timing but not enough to stop the energetic Georgian from collecting a few more takedowns.

The only real drama came in the final moments when an O’Malley front kick to the midsection appeared to hurt Dvalishvili. With a largely pro-O’Malley crowd urging him on, the colorful combatant sought a fight-ending sequence, but it was too little, too late.

O’Malley didn’t appear at the postfight news conference but addressed his defeat in a short post on his X account, writing, “Over promised, under delivered. Sorry. Love you guys.”

After starting his career in the UFC with consecutive losses, Dvalishvili, 33, has torn through the opposition with 11 consecutive wins and not a single judge seeing a fight in favor of his opponent. Not only was the victory significant for Dvalishvili, but it was just as big for his teammate, former champion Aljamain Sterling, who was knocked out by O’Malley in 2023.

The loss ended O’Malley’s seven-fight unbeaten streak and put a hold on his journey to reach the superstar status of Conor McGregor. Dvalishvili’s first defense of his title will come against the UFC’s undefeated No. 2 ranked bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov.

Dvalishvili’s victory capped an event that White had promised would be “the greatest live combat sports show anybody has ever seen” and was undoubtedly the biggest production in UFC history. Taking place at Sphere, a $2.3 billion venue with a massive 160,000-square-foot interior display plane, the budget for Saturday’s event exceeded $20 million, according to White.

Afterward, White said the promotion “showed everybody tonight what’s possible at the Sphere” and predicted the event would garner a handful of Emmy Awards.

“You can do more than concerts here,” he said. “You just have to do it right.”

White added: “In 30 years, the only thing that changed in boxing was HD. I always like to push the envelope and try to make things better. When new technology comes out, I try to raise the bar because it should be raised.”

Asked about the notion that Saturday’s fights didn’t live up to the spectacle or production value of the event, White said, “You can put up $20 million worth of production, but you can’t control the fights. They are what they are. I cannot let that drive me crazy.”

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