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AFL live ScoreCentre: Hawthorn vs Gold Coast, GWS vs Essendon, Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle, Geelong vs St Kilda, Port Adelaide vs Richmond live scores, stats and results

Josh Dunkley smiles and clenches both fists as Aaron Naughton hugs him from behin

The Western Bulldogs and Fremantle are both desperate for a win as the race for top four and finals positions heats up.

Earlier, Hawthorn claimed a hard-fought win over the Gold Coast to end the Suns’ slim hopes of making finals.

Later, Geelong take on St Kilda and Port Adelaide host Richmond.

Follow the live scores, stats and results below.

Western Bulldogs vs. Fremantle

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Hawks hold on to end Suns’ finals hopes

Hawthorn have all but snuffed out Gold Coast’s AFL finals hopes, holding off a final-quarter Suns fightback for a seven-point win in the milestone match of skipper Ben McEvoy.

Veteran Hawk Jack Gunston picked up five goals in Launceston on Saturday afternoon in the 10.10 (70) to 8.15 (63) result in McEvoy’s 250th appearance.

Jarman Impey pats Jack Gunston on the chest in congratulations
The Hawks claimed a well-earned win in Tasmania.(Getty Images: Dylan Burns)

Despite leading at each change, the Hawks had some nervous moments late with the Gold Coast virtually setting up camp in their half.

Trailing by 17 at three-quarter time, the Suns kicked the opening two goals of the fourth term and got within a goal with about five minutes left on the clock.

The Gold Coast were left to rue several muffed opportunities in the final quarter, with big man Mabior Chol and rookie Mac Andrew missing gettable set shots.

McEvoy picked up a crucial mark in defense inside the final two minutes as the Hawks scrambled for their eighth win of the year despite scoring just one point in the last term.

The result leaves the Suns in 11th position on the ladder, two wins outside the top eight with two rounds remaining and a host of teams above them still to play in round 21.

Gunston was on fire early, picking up four of his five goals before half-time.

The Suns were slow out of the blocks and took until the 21st minute to register their opening major but trailed by just eight at the first break.

Hawthorn pulled ahead in the second term with three goals straight, including Gunston’s third which was followed shortly by a fourth on the run, for a 21-point half-time lead.

Hawthorn’s Jarman Impey was put on report in the third quarter for contact on Darcy Macpherson after he kicked the ball following a mark.

Despite having the breeze at their back in the all-important third term, the Suns could only equal Hawthorn’s two goals.

Suns’ livewire small forward Izak Rankine picked up 11 disposals amid reports the Adelaide Crows have offered the 22-year-old a $4 million deal over five years.

Giants finish stronger to beat Bombers

GWS have responded to a week of intense focus and strong internal criticism with a rousing 27-point AFL triumph over Essendon at Giants Stadium.

The fired-up Giants were looking to bounce back after an insipid performance last week but were unable to shake off the Bombers until slamming on seven consecutive second-half goals to set up a 14.12 (96) to 10.9 (69) victory on Saturday.

Jake Stringer grits his teeth while a number of GWS players surround him and grab at him
The Giants came out on top of the scrap against the Bombers.(Getty Images: Brendon Thorne)

The Bombers (7-13) came into the clash having won four of their past five matches but had little answer to the Giants’ improved effort after briefly claiming the lead with two majors just after the main change, only kicking one consolation goal from there .

Jesse Hogan (four goals, 12 marks) set the tone with his intensity as he collected three tackles inside 50 as the Giants dominated that count 16-1, while the key forward was also his usual threat around goal and in the air.

Giants co-captains Stephen Coniglio (20 disposals, one goal) and Josh Kelly (19, one) led from the front in the midfield, while Lachie Whitfield (30, one) was one of the best afield and did plenty of damage with his sharp foot skills.

Harry Perryman (23 touches) was one of few Giants lauded by their coach last week and backed it up with a crucial role keeping Zach Merrett in check.

The Bombers’ star midfielder gathered 19 disposals but his influence on the contest and especially around the stoppages was down on his usual output.

Toby Greene (two goals) looked dangerous throughout but young forward James Peatling had to be subbed out in the second term after he chose to bump rather than tackle Mason Redman and they clashed heads.

Darcy Parish was straight back to his prolific ball-winning best after a month out with a calf injury, collecting 28 disposals and seven clearances and Sam Durham collected 23 touches.

Bombers spearhead Peter Wright had an enthralling duel with the Giants gun defender Sam Taylor but made the most of his chances with two goals, while Matt Guelfi slotted four goals from just six kicks.

The Giants looked eager to make an early impact after coach Mark McVeigh’s scathing post-match criticisms last week, with spot fires breaking out around the ground as both teams lined up for the opening bounce.

When play finally started, Stephen Coniglio rushed forward and snapped a goal after 47 seconds, and after Jake Stringer knocked Harry Himmelberg over before the ball had gone back to the middle the Giants had two goals in as many minutes.

The Giants’ victory snapped a four-match losing streak and lifts them to a 6-14 record and within reach of avoiding their first bottom-four finish since 2014.

GWS will be on the road next week to face arch-rivals Western Bulldogs on Saturday, while Essendon are at home to Port Adelaide on Sunday.

Geelong vs St Kilda

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Port Adelaide v Richmond

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Commonwealth Games: Hockeyroos win dramatic and controversial penalty shootout to book final spot

Commonwealth Games: Hockeyroos win dramatic and controversial penalty shootout to book final spot

The Hockeyroos will play for Commonwealth Games gold after scraping past India in a dramatic and controversial penalty shootout in the semifinal.

After being locked at 1-1 at the end of regulation time, Australia booked their spot in the final with a 3-0 win on strokes.

The penalty shootout was not without controversy through, with Australian Rosie Malone able to redo an unsuccessful first stroke after the clock did not start, which she would score.

With their quarter-final loss at last year’s Olympics firmly in their mind, Rebecca Greiner scored the only goal for Australia in the first quarter.

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Aussie F1 ace Daniel Ricciardo booted by McLaren to clear the way for Oscar Piastri – report

Aussie F1 ace Daniel Ricciardo booted by McLaren to clear the way for Oscar Piastri – report

Australia’s fading star of Formula One, Daniel Ricciardo, is about to be dropped by the McLaren team in favor of his highly-rated countryman Oscar Piastri, according to multiple Grand Prix sources.

Paul Gover
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Embattled Australian Formula One ace Daniel Ricciardo – who has more often than not been outpaced by his younger teammate since a switch to McLaren 18 months ago – has reportedly been given his marching orders by the British team and will vacate his seat at the end of this season a year before his contract expires, multiple Formula One insiders are reporting.

News of the impending switch emerged yesterday in Europe at the end of a tumultuous week in Formula One, which saw four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel announce his retirement, and two-time champion Fernando Alonso switch from Alpine to Aston Martin to replace Vettel in 2023.

Rising Australian star Oscar Piastri, 21, has been linked to a number of spots on the F1 grid next year, including the possibility he could replace Ricciardo.

It is worth noting Ricciardo’s shock switch is for now unsubstantiated speculation – and the driver has repeatedly stated he is contracted to McLaren until the end of 2023 – however the widespread overnight coverage has been reported by seasoned F1 journalists with impeccable contacts in the sport.

The Renault-owned Alpine squad thought it could promote Piastri from reserve driver to its full-time squad for next year as Alonso’s replacement, but the 21-year-old Australian quickly denied the move as he became the subject of rumors about a transfer to McLaren for 2023.

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The next step in the saga, first reported by RacingNews365.com citing sources in Australia, has Ricciardo on the way out after receiving the news of his sacking a year early by McLaren with – most likely – his fellow Australian arriving to take his place alongside Highly-rated British driver Lando Norris.

Although it is unclear at this stage, an early termination of Ricciardo’s services at McLaren could still see him paid the balance of his contract to the end of 2023 – reportedly close to $AU20 million – while earning a salary at his next job, if he can secure a seat on the F1 grid.

Nothing official has been said yet by McLaren, despite widespread reporting of Ricciardo’s likely departure from the team.

The dispute over Piastri could still be decided by the Contract Recognitions Board, which is responsible for adjudicating on disputes between drivers and teams in Grand Prix racing.

In the past, former world champion Jenson Button was the focus of a contract dispute involving the then-Benetton team and Williams that was only decided by the Board – and Alpine currently believes it has a deal for 2023 with Piastri.

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What appears certain is Ricciardo’s early departure from McLaren with a multi-million dollar payout and his search for a fresh spot in Formula One.

The eight-time Formula One winner – who last year delivered McLaren’s first victory since 2012 – has significantly under-performed since joining McLaren, despite claiming the 2021 Italian Grand Prix for the team, and has been consistently slower than Norris in qualifying and behind him at the finish of Grand Prix races this year.

Ricciardo’s only likely F1 option is at Alpine, but that could be problematic as he took a giant paycheck – believed to be more than $30 million a year – to move to the Renault factory team from Red Bull Racing in 2019, and then jumped out of the squad after only two years to move to McLaren where he is today.

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Still, a return to the French-owed team would solve a lot of problems for both Ricciardo and Alpine.

Full details of the Piastri move are yet to emerge, but his manager – fellow Australian and past Grand Prix winner Mark Webber – is one of the key players and has apparently been looking for the best team to take the highly-regarded Piastri into Formula One .

Webber’s connections – McLaren’s team manager Andreas Seidl, who headed Porsche’s Le Mans racing program when the Aussie was driving for the German sports car company, is one – are key players in the story.

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Another is Webber’s one-time manager – former Grand Prix team owner and Formula One power player Flavio Briatore – according to the best background information on the developing story.

The world’s oldest motorsport publication, Motorsport Magazine in the UK, you have reported all the latest driver movements and the inside workings of Formula One – often described as the ‘Piranha Club’.

But there is still plenty to come as the three Australian musketeers of Formula One – Ricciardo, Piastri and Webber – continue their dealings over the summer break in this year’s Grand Prix schedule.

Paul Gover

Paul Gover has been a motoring journalist for more than 40 years, working on newspapers, magazines, websites, radio and television. A qualified general news journalist and sports reporter, his passion for motoring led him to Wheels, Motor, Car Australia, Which Car and Auto Action magazines. He is a champion racing driver as well as a World Car of the Year judge.

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First-round pick attracting interest from Victorian clubs

First-round pick attracting interest from Victorian clubs

Miles Bergman is attracting interest from a number of Victorian clubs, reports SEN’s Michelangelo Rucci.

The 20-year-old has found himself in the senior team throughout the last several weeks after recovering from shoulder surgery and playing SANFL earlier in the year.

He was a first-round draft pick out of the Sandringham Dragons back in 2019. Despite signing a two-year extension back in 2020 and with a year to run on his current deal, Rucci predicts he’ll be tempted by a move home.

“We know there’s going to be an enormous trade market, but it’s not just going to be players falling out of contract,” Rucci told SEN SA’s The Run Home.

“Miles Bergman is under contract until 2023, the end of next season. But he has – what I’ve been told – fair interest from a few Victorian clubs to lure him back to Melbourne.

“He was a first-round draft pick, number 14 for Port Adelaide in 2019, has a Rising Star nomination last year and had a difficult past 12 months with COVID.

“If he gets tempted to move, Port are going to have some interesting talks with clubs about what they want back.

“I don’t think (he will be at Port next year).”

Bergman’s best game of the season came against Melbourne in Round 18 when he booted two goals and took eight marks from 16 disposals.

The Power are already up against it to keep wingman Karl Amon from departing Alberton at the end of the year, however the club is reported to have expressed an interest in out-of-contract Bulldog Josh Dunkley.

Sports-News Port Adelaide





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Daniel Golubovic keen for a steak after storming home to pip Cedric Dubler for decathlon silver

Daniel Golubovic keen for a steak after storming home to pip Cedric Dubler for decathlon silver

“Dan was going to have to go out hard if he was going to get it,” said Dubler (8030 points), who knew he had third place locked up no matter what happened in the 1500m. “It’s just too quick for me. I just ran out of gas. My lungs are still burning. Even if I wanted to try and help him for the first few laps, I would have completely blown up. I told Dan from the start that was Dan’s to go after. He is definitely capable of running by himself.”

Golubovic was ecstatic after the race.

“Man, we had a dig,” said Golubovic after a season-best effort. “Lindon ran one heck of a race. I’m stoked, I’m tired and I’m ready for a nice big steak.

“I didn’t want to get too excited and run way too quick. We almost did but we hung in there. I knew it was going to be close.”

Dubler began the evening session with a 39-point lead over Victor with two events remaining – the javelin and the 1500m – thanks to a clearance of 5m in the pole vault earlier in the day that propelled him to the top of the standings.

However, one throw into the javelin, Dubler’s lead had evaporated by a substantial margin.

One of Dubler’s weaker disciplines is the javelin, while Victor had targeted the penultimate event as a way to chip away at the deficit.

Dubler’s best throw of 51.84m was way off Victor’s mark of 65.16m and that meant the Australia had to produce something special in the three-and-three-quarter lap race.

Perhaps he needed the fresh version of himself from 2021 to will him along, as he did for Moloney.

“That was an experience,” Dubler said. “It was kind of uncharted territory in the world of decathlon. I never expected in my career I would back up under four weeks. All of today, the fatigue set in.

“I’ve been calling [Victor] a beast for weeks because he keeps on going.”

In other action on the track, Sam Carter won a bronze medal in the men’s 1500m (T53-54), while Steve Solomon qualified for the men’s 400m final after initially thinking he had missed out.

Steve Solomon is final-bound.

Steve Solomon is final-bound.Credit:Getty

Solomon, a two-time Olympian, clocked 46.30s to finish fourth in the first of three heats.

“I’m really happy with how I finished the race,” Solomon said straight after the race. “There’s not much more I can do than that. I’ll go back and do some work and come back next year. It’s been exhausting. I’m going to take a break now and get a chance to settle.”

As Solomon spoke to reporters, his voice trailed off as he saw that heat two wasn’t as quick as he expected.

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Fidgeting even more, Solomon knew that if third place in heat three went over 46.30s, he was through. It was 46.33 and he was.

“Holy smokes … how good,” said Solomon as he sprinted away with a spring in his step to begin preparations for a final on Sunday (7.45pm, AEST).

Get all the latest news from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games here. We’ll be live blogging the action from 4pm-10am daily.

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Lance Franklin releases statement after report links him to the Brisbane Lions, considering retirement, move from Sydney Swans

Lance Franklin has put contract talks on hold until the end of the season as he pores over where, or if, he will pull on the boots in 2023.

Nine’s Michael Atkinson broke the news on Thursday evening that Brisbane had emerged as the shock frontrunner to land the signature of the 35-year-old superstar, as he nears the end of his nine-year, $10 million contract with the Sydney Swans.

Atkinson reported that Franklin had informed the Swans he would leave at the end of this season, with he and wife Jesinta wanting to move closer to family on the Gold Coast.

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In a statement released via his manager Adam Finch on Saturday, Franklin said he would reach a decision at the end of the season, while revealing retirement is also on the cards.

“At this stage conversations have been paused around my contract so I can put all my focus on playing footy,” he said.

“No further comment will be made until the season is done and I have decided about my future.

“I am still undecided and need time after the season to make a family decision about whether I continue to play next year.”

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The biggest AFL trade blunders that backfired on teams involved

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Premier League transfers, Chelsea sign Marc Cucurella, Christian Benteke, Manchester City, latest news,

Premier League transfers, Chelsea sign Marc Cucurella, Christian Benteke, Manchester City, latest news,

The Premier League has just kicked off for a season, but transfers are still coming thick and fast as managers look to finalize their squads after a short off-season.

With the Premier League starting on its earliest-ever date due to the impact of a World Cup scheduled mid-season, many managers still have plenty of work to do – with Leicester having not signed a single player yet.

The Foxes today announced legendary keeper Kasper Schmeichel had departed for France, but it was Chelsea’s signing of Brighton’s Marc Cucurella for a fullback record-equalling

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Gunners get the job done at Palace | 02:07

CHELSEA BEAT CITY! (TO A SIGNING, AT LEAST)

Chelsea have signed Spanish defender Marc Cucurella from Premier League rivals Brighton on a six-year contract, the London club announced Friday.

No fee was disclosed but British media reports have valued the deal at £60 million – the equal-highest fee for a fullback.

The 24-year-old should now be available for Chelsea’s Premier League opener away to Everton on Saturday.

“I’m really happy; it’s a big opportunity for me to join one of the best clubs in the world and I’m going to work hard to be happy here and help the team,” Cucurella told Chelsea’s website.

The Spain wing-back has now become Chelsea’s latest pre-season signing with Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling and Carney Chukwuemeka all having arrived at Stamford Bridge for a total spend of £172m.

Cucurella’s move has paved the way for young Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill to head in the opposite direction, on loan, to Brighton.

Both Manchester City and Chelsea have been interested in Cucurella, although the Premier League champions are understood to have baulked at Brighton’s asking price.

But Chelsea, under new owner Todd Boehly’s consortium, remained interested.

“He’s young, hungry, mobile and a very intelligent player,” said Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel of Cucurella, with the German explaining the new recruit would take some of the pressure off Ben Chilwell during the England wing-back’s recovery from knee surgery.

“It helps in depth and in quality, and it helps with Ben, to escape the pressure of I have to deliver and we need you absolutely now,” Tuchel said.

“We have of course at the moment in this position Marcos Alonso, Kenedy and Emerson.

“And I think he (Cucurella) can play very well in the back three, so it’s a bit of a profile of Azpi (Azpilicueta) on the left side. He gives us many options.”

Boehly added: “Marc is an elite defender of proven Premier League quality and he further strengthens our squad going into the new season.

“We continue to work on and off the pitch, and we’re delighted Marc will be a part of the present and future at Chelsea.

Kloppo COOKS over World Cup | 01:15

ROONEY BAGS SIXTH SIGNING ALREADY

Belgian international striker Christian Benteke, who has spent the past 10 years in the Premier League, joined Wayne Rooney-coached DC United of Major League Soccer on Friday, the club announced.

United obtained the 31-year-old forward on a permanent transfer from Crystal Palace and signed him to a deal through the 2024 season with a club option for 2025.

“Christian is a top player who has played at the highest level for a long time,” former England and Manchester United star Rooney said.

“His experience and ability to score goals and help the team will be invaluable. It’s exciting for the team and myself to get him in and playing. He will make a huge difference.” United will need all the help it can get with a record of just six wins and three draws for 21 points, the second-worst in the 28-team North American league.

Benteke scored 86 goals in 280 Premier League appearances with Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Palace.

Benteke becomes the sixth player to join United since Rooney was named coach last month.

Pep confident Haaland will bag goals | 00:45

HAMMERS LAND STRIKER … AND THEY’RE NOT DONE

David Moyes has said West Ham will still be involved in the transfer market after signing Maxwel Cornet.

The Ivory Coast forward has joined the Hammers following Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League in a move worth a reported £17.5 million.

His arrival at the London Stadium ahead of the new season comes after Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes and Gianluca Scamacca joined the club, with goalkeeper Alphonse Areola signing a permanent deal following a loan spell.

However, defend Aguerd, who cost £30 million, is expected to be out for three months with a knee injury.

Having also lost the retired Mark Noble, and the released duo of Ryan Fredericks and Andriy Yarmolenko, from what was already a thin squad, West Ham manager Moyes is keen to sign more players.

“We’ve made good signings,” Moyes said Friday. “We’ve had one or two injuries as well, which we have to take into consideration, but we’re far from finished in that regard.

“We lost three outfield players and a goalkeeper this summer. We didn’t bring any players in during January so we need to fill these voids. We want to bring in quality players and we’re working to do that.”

Scamacca will help fill the void in West Ham’s ranks left by last year’s departure of striker Sebastien Haller.

But the £30 million signing from Sassuolo is short of match fitness and so not expected to feature in West Ham’s opener against champions Manchester City on Sunday.

Leicester City's Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel (R) and Leicester City's Italian former manager Claudio Ranieri (L) after their iconic triumph.
Leicester City’s Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel (R) and Leicester City’s Italian former manager Claudio Ranieri (L) after their iconic triumph.Source: AFP

SCHMEICHEL DOES NICE DEAL

Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel said Friday he has “high ambitions” to replicate his success with Leicester City at new club Nice.

The 35-year-old was the mainstay of the most successful period in the English club’s history winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield in his 11-year spell.

“In football, if you have a feeling, you have to go with it,” said the former Leicester captain, who wants to turn the Riviera outfit back into the “top club” who won four Ligue 1 titles, the last in 1959.

“Leicester is a club that I love. The decision to leave family members is difficult,” Schmeichel told a press conference.

“But I am 35 years old. It was time to challenge myself, with the desire to continue to grow as a player and person — a new language, a new experience for my family.

“But the main reason was the fact that Ineos (owners) have very high ambitions for Nice. They want to make it a top club. I see similarities there with when I joined Leicester.” The son of former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel joined Leicester from Leeds in 2011 and soon became a fans’ favorite with his 479 appearances the third most in the club’s history.

Nice finished fifth in Ligue 1 last season and open their new campaign at Toulouse on Sunday.

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Tennis 2022: Nick Kyrgios wows in ‘absolutely bonkers’ Washington Open win over Frances Tiafoe

Tennis 2022: Nick Kyrgios wows in 'absolutely bonkers' Washington Open win over Frances Tiafoe

Nick Kyrgios has survived an epic three-set clash against Frances Tiafoe to progress through to the semi-finals of the Washington Open.

After two and a half hours of high quality tennis, the Australian prevailed over the American 6-7 7-6 6-2.

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There was nothing in it in the first set, but Kyrgios didn’t do himself any favors with a double fault in the tie-break to give Tiafoe the upper hand.

The match went up a gear in the second set, culminating in an epic tie-break that Kyrgios won 14-12, as he somehow managed to save five match points.

Kyrgios and Tiafoe fired off several aces and countless lengthy rallies in an exchange that left tennis fans in awe.

The Washington Post’s Ella Brockway tweeted: “This Kyrgios-Tiafoe match is absolutely bonkers.

“There are few things in sports quite like The Nick Kyrgios Experience.”

Both players complained to the chair umpire on multiple occasions, unhappy with spectators in the crowd yelling out during points and as they were preparing to serve.

“I want to go to bed,” Kyrgios said midway through the third set.

He fired off a whopping 35 aces and 60 winners in total as he ran away with the third set, wrapping up the match at 1am local time in Washington DC

He will next face Sweden’s Mikael Ymer in the semi-finals as his quest for a second title in Washington continues.

On the women’s side of the draw, Australia’s Daria Saville continued her strong form with a 6-1 7-5 win over Rebecca Marino to book her place in a semi-final against sixth seed Kaia Kanepi.

Top seed Andrey Rublev won twice on Saturday (AEST) to reach the semi-finals of the ATP and WTA Washington Open, dispatching Americans Maxime Cressy and JJ Wolf at the US Open tuneup.

Rain forced double duty upon Rublev and several others but storms provided everyone a timely rest break between matches.

He will take on Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the other semi-final.

Read related topics:Nick Kyrgios

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Tennis 2022: Nick Kyrgios wows in ‘absolutely bonkers’ Washington Open win over Frances Tiafoe

Tennis 2022: Nick Kyrgios wows in 'absolutely bonkers' Washington Open win over Frances Tiafoe

Nick Kyrgios has survived an epic three-set clash against Frances Tiafoe to progress through to the semi-finals of the Washington Open.

After two and a half hours of high quality tennis, the Australian prevailed over the American 6-7 7-6 6-2.

Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

There was nothing in it in the first set, but Kyrgios didn’t do himself any favors with a double fault in the tie-break to give Tiafoe the upper hand.

The match went up a gear in the second set, culminating in an epic tie-break that Kyrgios won 14-12, as he somehow managed to save five match points.

Kyrgios and Tiafoe fired off several aces and countless lengthy rallies in an exchange that left tennis fans in awe.

The Washington Post’s Ella Brockway tweeted: “This Kyrgios-Tiafoe match is absolutely bonkers.

“There are few things in sports quite like The Nick Kyrgios Experience.”

Both players complained to the chair umpire on multiple occasions, unhappy with spectators in the crowd yelling out during points and as they were preparing to serve.

“I want to go to bed,” Kyrgios said midway through the third set.

He fired off a whopping 35 aces and 60 winners in total as he ran away with the third set, wrapping up the match at 1am local time in Washington DC

He will next face Sweden’s Mikael Ymer in the semi-finals as his quest for a second title in Washington continues.

On the women’s side of the draw, Australia’s Daria Saville continued her strong form with a 6-1 7-5 win over Rebecca Marino to book her place in a semi-final against sixth seed Kaia Kanepi.

Top seed Andrey Rublev won twice on Saturday (AEST) to reach the semi-finals of the ATP and WTA Washington Open, dispatching Americans Maxime Cressy and JJ Wolf at the US Open tuneup.

Rain forced double duty upon Rublev and several others but storms provided everyone a timely rest break between matches.

He will take on Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the other semi-final.

Read related topics:Nick Kyrgios

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Commonwealth Games 2022: Athletics, running, men’s 5000m, schedule, Jack Rayner

Jack Rayner sports an exceptional 1970s-style mustache.

But when the Australian long-distance runner utters the word “unorthodox”, he’s not talking about his upper-lip work of art.

The 26-year-old, set to compete in the men’s 5000m at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday night (AEST), is pointing to his backflip on the marathon.

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Before making the jump to the marathon, the vast majority of runners spend many years competing on the track and in the shortest road events.

Rayner has broken the mould, scaling down from the marathon due to a plagued injury run and promising performances over the shorter distances.

The Victorian posted 2:11:06 in the 2019 London marathon at the age of only 23.

But he’s withdrawn from two of the four marathons he’s started and injured himself during another.

He carried a stress reaction into last year’s Tokyo Olympics marathon and had a day to forget, pulling out early in the run.

Two sizzling hit-outs on the track this year added to the lure of attacking the shorter distances: at 27:15.35 in San Juan Capistrano that clinched the national 10,000m record, and at 13:06.00 over 5000m in Oslo that gave him the third -fastest time by an Australian in history.

“I’m trying to break the cycle of being injured in a marathon block,” Rayner told Wide World of Sports.

“My coach (Nic Bideau) always knew I was decent on the track, but he never really pushed me to it because I was doing well on the roads — the shorter stuff on the roads, like 10km up to half-marathon.

“Then when this season rolled around he saw I was really fit so he threw me in a 10,000m in March, and then I ended up running the Australian record there. He was like, ‘I’m going to see how well you go in the shorter stuff’, so he threw me in at 5000m and then we pretty much just went from there.

“While I’m running well on the track it doesn’t make much sense to do (a marathon) super soon.”

While Rayner was punching out 180-200km per week when training for the marathon, he’s now ticking through 110-140km.

He now also takes one full day off running a week — “the biggest change” he’s made this year.

Considering he’s suffered a stress fracture in his sacrum, a stress reaction in his femur and a stress reaction in his hip in the last three years, it’s hard to argue against the recent changes he’s made as an athlete.

He struggled badly in his sole event at July’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, finishing 19th in the 10,000m in 28:16.

But on the cusp of the 5000m at his Commonwealth Games debut, he’s single-minded about what he wants to achieve before giving the marathon another shake.

“I had a pretty disappointing world champs, to be honest. I just went into it a little bit tired,” Rayner said.

“I would like to be competitive on the track. For things like world champs — making the final in that and being competitive. In the 10,000m, as well — it’s a really tough event, but I’d love to finish much higher up (than I did at the world champs).In the top 10 in the 10,000m and trying to make the final in the 5000m would be amazing.

“I’ve only run one really good 5000m, to be honest, so I’ve barely had a proper go at it just yet.

“Breaking that 13-minute barrier (in the 5000m) would be high up on the list, as well as running a sub-27-minute 10,000m. (They’re) two things that I would love to tick off in my career .

“I don’t know what I’ll be doing at the next Olympics (in Paris in 2024), whether that be track or marathon. (It’s) something I haven’t really fully made up my mind about yet.”

Craig Mottram, who unleashed at 12:55.76 in 5000m in London in 2004, is the only Australian to have cracked the 13-minute barrier.

Stewart McSweyn, one of Rayner’s Melbourne Track Club teammates, is Australia’s second-quickest over 5000m in history, having registered at 13:05.23 in Belgium in 2018.

As Rayner waits for the gun to fire in the Commonwealth Games 5000m, he’ll be standing beside three sub-13-minute runners: Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli and Jacob Krop, and Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda.

Kiplimo broke free from the shadow of champion compatriot Joshua Cheptegei as he stormed to victory in the Commonwealth Games 10,000m this week.

Rayner’s brilliant rivals will make it tough for him to score a medal in Birmingham.

But until he returns his focus to the marathon, taking on the best in the world in the shorter events is the mustachioed star’s beat.

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