sport

Mike Erush is the soccer coach at Cal State Los Angeles. He’s also the coach for Harvard-Westlake, which won its third Mission League title in four years Friday by defeating Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 1-0 on an early goal from sophomore Truman Kim.

The Wolverines (16-1-3, 8-0-1) have received strong play from the Chen brothers, JT, a sophomore, and Ollie, a freshman.

“They have some good chemistry,” said goalkeeper Jackson Friedman, one of the best in the Southland.

The Chens take turns passing the ball to each other and pressuring opponents. Landon Marks leads the team in goals.

Cathedral 2, Bishop Amat 1: The Phantoms (14-2-2, 6-0-1) won the Del Rey League championship. Adrian Rivera and Christopher Guzman each scored goals.

Oak Park 2, Moorpark 1: Ryder Cash and Carson Casella (penalty kick) scored goals for the Eagles.

El Camino Real 2, Chatsworth 0: The Royals are closing in on the No. 1 seed for the City Section Open Division playoffs with a 7-0-1 mark in the West Valley League. Caleb Haynes and Josh Serrano scored goals.

Girls’ soccer

El Camino Real 1, Chatsworth 0: Jacky Alvarado had the goal for the Royals, who face defending City champion Granada Hills on Wednesday.

Boys’ basketball

Oak Park 61, Moorpark 49: It’s another Coastal Canyon League title for coach Aaron Shaw. Beau Prophete finished with 23 points. Oak Park is 7-0 in league.

St. John Bosco 73, Servite 65: The Braves (19-6) claimed the No. 1 seed for next week’s Trinity League tournament. Christian Collins scored 23 points and Gavin Dean-Moss had 13 points.

JSerra 67, Mater Dei 66: The Lions earned the No. 3 seed for the Trinity League tournament.

Santa Margarita 102, Orange Lutheran 81: Kaiden Bailey scored 31 points and Drew Anderson 30 for the Eagles, which have the No. 2 seed for the Trinity League tournament.

Oaks Christian 64, Newbury Park 28: Brady Sullivan and Andrew Logan each scored 13 points for Oaks Christian.

Thousand Oaks 62, Calabasas 50: The Lancers won the Marmonte League game.

San Pedro 54, Carson 45: Bryce Jackson had 18 points for 20-6 San Pedro.

Palisades 75, Fairfax 47: Jack Levey made eight threes to score 24 points for the Dolphins.

Birmingham 68, Chatsworth 47: X’zavion McKay had 19 points and Tekeio Phillips added 18 points for Birmingham.

Los Alamitos 74, Newport Harbor 60: Tyler Lopez led the way with 18 points.

Brentwood 56, Campball Hall 49: The Eagles (24-3) rallied in the fourth quarter to win the Gold Coast League game.

Heritage Christian 72, Valley Christian 34: Freshman Ty Lazenby had 20 points to set up a showdown Saturday in a rivalry game at Village Christian.

Redondo Union 101, Palos Verdes 67: Chace Holley had 21 points and SJ Madison and Devin Wright each had 18 points as Redondo Union moved closer to the Bay League title.

Girls’ basketball

Sierra Canyon 66, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 27: Jerzy Robinson finished with 20 points for Sierra Canyon (23-2).

Oak Park 89, Moorpark 20: The Eagles (17-6, 6-0) continued their march to a Southern Section Open Division playoff spot. Karisma Lewis scored 19 points and Diana Sorrondo had 18 points.

Windward 67, Crossroads 40: Charis Rainey had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Windward.

St. Margaret’s 53, Rosary 49: Freshman Jayden Witten had a 35-point performance for St. Margaret’s.

Oaks Christian 56, Newbury Park 48: Presley Kushner scored 32 points for Oaks Christian.

The latest cache of investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein released Friday include personal emails exchanged more than 20 years ago between Casey Wasserman, chairman of the LA28 Olympics organizing committee, and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former romantic partner.

In emails sent in March and April 2003, Wasserman — who was married at the time — writes about wanting to see Maxwell in a tight leather outfit, she offers to give him a massage that can “drive a man wild,” and the pair discuss how much they miss each other, according to files released and posted online by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Representatives for Wasserman did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Friday.

In an email sent on March 14, 2003, Maxwell describes a “tight leather flying outfit” she wore recently and said she was thinking of Wasserman in inappropriate moments. He wrote back, “I think of you all the time … So what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”

She then promises him, “Casey — I will be coming back to NY tom late afternoon. I shall be wearing a tight leather flying suit …”

Newly released Epstein files show emails exchanged between Casey Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell in March and April 2003.

(U.S. Department of Justice)

The exchange, part of a trove of documents about Epstein released on Friday, reveal that Wasserman was at one time friendly with Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on five counts related to sex trafficking and the abuse of minors in partnership with Epstein.

Other documents show that Wasserman and his then wife flew on Epstein’s private jet in September 2002 alongside Maxwell, Epstein, former President Clinton, actor Kevin Spacey and several others as part of a 10-day trip to explore the problems of HIV in Africa. (That trip had been documented in a 2003 Vanity Fair story).

During her trial, federal prosecutors established that Maxwell and Epstein — who died by suicide while in federal custody in 2019 — were engaged in a sex-trafficking scheme involving minors from the late 1990s through the early 2000s.

In an April 2, 2003, email to Wasserman, Maxwell offers to “continue the massage concept into your bed … and then again in the morning … not sure if or when we would stop.”

Newly released Epstein files show emails exchanged between Casey Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell in March and April 2003.

(U.S. Department of Justice)

Later that day she writes, “Umm — all that rubbing — are you sure you can take it? The thought frankly is leaving me a little breathless. There are a few spots that apparently drive a man wild — I suppose I could practice them on you and you could let me know if they work or not?”

A few days later, Maxwell tells Wasserman that “JE” says she should pick a week to go to Los Angeles and look at properties they can rent in Malibu that summer and offers to bring Wasserman something from Paris.

Wasserman wrote back, “I think you picking a week to be in LA is a really good idea … The only thing i want from paris is you”

The pair continue their exchange on April 6, with Maxwell then offering to bring him food from London such as KitKats, cheddar and baked beans to which he says, “Among all my desires, that combination is pretty low on the list … xoxo”

She asks him what combination would do it for him and he says “You, me, and not else much …”

Wasserman then explains the concept of June gloom, California’s famous seasonal fog, and Maxwell inquires whether it would be foggy enough “so that you can float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?”

He responds, “or something like that …”

Newly released Epstein files show emails exchanged between Casey Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell in March and April 2003.

(U.S. Department of Justice)

Wasserman, a UCLA alumnus, is the grandson of Hollywood mogul Lew Wasserman. He built his own fortune through his sports marketing and talent agency Wasserman, which represents more than 30 No. 1 overall picks in major sports leagues including the MLB, NFL, NBA and WNBA. In 2023, the agency acquired Brillstein Entertainment Partners, a management production company that represents stars such as Adam Sandler and Brad Pitt and launched hit shows that included “The Sopranos.”

Wasserman was recruited by former Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2017 to help Los Angeles win its Olympic host bid. While Garcetti completed his mayoral term and faded from the Olympic spotlight, Wasserman remains the face of the city’s push to host a successful Games in 2028. He has led every major Olympic update presented to the IOC and met multiple times with President Trump to secure his support.

Wasserman is expected to join an LA28 delegation in Italy for the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the final Games before L.A.

Epstein, 66, was once a well-connected financial consultant who rubbed shoulders with many prominent politicians and celebrities, including Trump and Clinton. He was arrested and taken into federal custody in July 2019 and charged with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.

The indictment alleged that, between 2002 and 2005, Epstein sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls at his homes in Manhattan, N.Y., and Palm Beach, Fla., and other locations, by enticing them to engage in sex acts with him for cash. It also alleged Epstein paid several of his victims to recruit other underage girls to engage in similar sex acts.

The latest documents were disclosed under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was enacted after months of public and political pressure and requires the government to open its files on the late financier and Maxwell. Deputy Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche said the Justice Department was releasing more than 3 million pages of documents in the latest disclosure, as well as more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.

Times staff writer Jenny Jarvie and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis will replace Cummins after he failed to recover in time for the tournament.

Australian fast ‌bowler Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the ICC Twenty20 World ‍Cup after failing to recover from a nagging back injury, with Ben Dwarshuis named as his replacement in the tournament starting next month.

“With ⁠Pat needing more time to recover from his back injury, Ben is a ready replacement who offers a left-arm pace option as well as dynamic fielding and late-order hitting,” selector Tony Dodemaide said on Saturday.

“We believe his ability to swing the ball at good pace, along with clever variations, will be well-suited to the conditions we expect and ​overall structure of the squad.”

Cummins played just one of the five Ashes Tests against England, but Australia kept ⁠him in the provisional World Cup squad, hoping for his availability in the ​Super Eight stage of the tournament to be played in ‍India and Sri Lanka.

Matt Renshaw also replaced fellow batter Matthew Short but veteran Steve Smith could not break into the World Cup squad despite his strong form in the Big ‍Bash League.

The Mitchell Marsh-led side are ‌currently playing a three-match T20 series in Pakistan as part of their preparation for the World Cup.

“With the top order settled and spin-heavy conditions expected in the pool stages in Sri ‌Lanka, we also feel Matt provides extra middle-order support, with Tim David completing his return-to-play programme in the ‌early phase of the tournament,” Dodemaide said of ⁠Renshaw’s selection.

“As a left-hander, he also offers a point of difference to the middle-order batting.”

Renshaw scored 15 in his T20 debut for Australia in Thursday’s defeat in Lahore.

The former champions begin their ‌World Cup campaign against Ireland in a February 11 match in Colombo.

Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Travis Head, Xavier Bartlett, Josh Hazlewood, Cooper Connolly, Josh ‍Inglis, Tim David, Matthew Kuhnemann, Ben Dwarshuis, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Matthew Renshaw, Nathan Ellis, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Kelly: What does an ideal day off look like? How do you like to escape football?

Florian: Since the summer, I like to play padel. I went a few times with some players here.

Kelly: Who plays from Liverpool?

Florian: Dominik [Szoboszlai], Milos [Kerkez]… Jeremie [Frimpong] says he’s good but I’ve not seen him.

Kelly: Are you any good?

Florian: I’m not that good. If you ask the others, I am better than Jeremie. He knows for sure I am better than him!

Kelly: What else do you like to do?

Florian: I like to have a nice breakfast. I love breakfast – scrambled eggs, pancakes… I can eat a lot. The nutritionist is very happy with me because I eat a lot of fuel for the games.

Kelly: So you have breakfast and play padel… anything else?

Florian: Maybe just chill… play PlayStation. I have a dog as well – Zoomer… but it’s not after Paw Patrol. Everyone asks me about that.

Kelly: What’s it named after then?

Florian: Just random.

Kelly: What were you like as a youngster? What kind of child was Florian Wirtz?

Florian: My parents always say I was very shy and always hiding behind my sisters. I was one of 10. I am the youngest.

Kelly: What was that like growing up?

Florian: To be honest, it’s not that bad because everyone cares about you… you are the youngest. When my parents wanted to go out, they could come and look after me. It’s nice to have so many loved ones on birthdays and Christmas.

Kelly: I’m told you are not the only footballer of your siblings…

Florian: My sister [Juliane] plays for Werder Bremen. She also played for Brauweiler, Cologne and Leverkusen. We played at the same time for three clubs.

Kelly: What was that like for you?

Florian: It was nice because sometimes we could drive together to training. I am very proud of her – she is doing good. I’m happy for her because she is having a very good season with her team.

Kelly: You are not at the same club now or even in the same country… are you still speaking about football and watching each other’s games?

Florian: My sister always wishes me good luck for the games and calls or texts me. I always try to watch her games if I can. It’s nice we have the same ambitions and the same way to think about football. I’m happy she is a footballer so we have something in common and it’s nice.

Kelly: If you could only achieve one more thing in your career, what would it be?

Florian: World champion.

Kelly: World Cup this summer?

Florian: It will be difficult, but let’s see. We all go there to win it. It will be difficult but hopefully we can go far.

No. 5 UCLA women’s gymnastics (6-2, 2-0) hosted Washington (2-4, 1-1) at Pauley Pavilion on Friday night for a prime-time Big Ten matchup. The Bruins continued to demonstrate just how hungry they are for a national championship by flexing their deep roster in 198.150-195.825 win over the Huskies.

Jordan Chiles earned another perfect score on her floor routine, capping off a night that would give her another all-around individual title.

UCLA established its dominance from the beginning. During their rotation on the vault, they finished with a total score of 49.425. Tiana Sumanasekera set the tone with a 9.875 performance.

Madisyn Anyimi followed it by earning a 9.900, her best score on the event as a Bruin. Katelyn Rosen and Riley Jenkins both earned 9.850 marks. Anchoring the vault was Chiles who closed with a 9.950.

The Huskies posted a score of 49.325 on the uneven bars.

UCLA added to their lead on the uneven bars. Ciena Alipio was close to perfect with a routine that earned her a 9.950. Keeping up with her teammate, Sydney Barros followed with a 9.925.

Sumanasekera and Sullivan, both freshmen, scored 9.825 and 9.875, respectively. Chiles earned a 9.975, which brought up the team’s total to 98.975.

Washington earned a 48.925 on vault, falling behind UCLA by .750.

UCLA extended their lead on the balance beam, with Rosen and Barros opening the third rotation with 9.850 scores. Jordis Eichman took it up a notch with a 9.875 on her only event of the night.

Chiles earned a 9.950, extending her all-around lead. Alipio added another 9.950, maintaining a Bruins lead of 148.450-147.525 going into the final event.

During their anchor event, UCLA continued to shine with a 9.925 floor routine by Rosen. Both Alipio and Sumanasekera added to the lead with a 9.900 and a 9.925, respectively. Sullivan earned her best mark on the floor with a 9.950.

Chiles saved the best for last, earning a perfect score on her performance bringing the rotation total to 49.700. Chiles had perfect scores on floor and vault against Michigan State on Sunday.

Derek Chisora’s fight with former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has been confirmed for the O2 Arena in London on 4 April.

The event will be a 50th professional fight for both 42-year-old Chisora and American Wilder, 40.

Chisora said last year he would retire after a 50th bout which would take place overseas, but the Briton is now set to face Wilder on home soil.

The pair were due to fight 13 years ago but Wilder withdrew from the bout after an arrest for domestic violence prevented him from travelling to the UK.

Chisora is on a three-fight winning streak, including points victories over Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin.

Wilder held the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020, winning his first 40 fights, and was once considered the division’s most feared puncher.

He drew with Tyson Fury in 2018 in the first bout of their trilogy, then suffered successive defeats by the ‘Gypsy King’ in 2020 and 2021.

Wilder returned in June 2025 after more than a year out with a seventh-round stoppage of little-known Tyrrell Anthony Herndon.

WASHINGTON — The “competitive edge” Lakers coach JJ Redick requested from his players showed itself right away in the form of dominance from Luka Doncic, more outstanding play from LeBron James and an impressive outing from center Deandre Ayton.

By the time Doncic, James and Ayton completed their night, they had combined for 85 points and 27 rebounds in helping the Lakers build a 38-point lead en route to a 142-111 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday. The Lakers improved to 4-2 on their season-high eight-game trip.

And it centered around the brilliance of Doncic, his triple-double of 37 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds the catalyst for the Lakers winning for the fifth time in their last seven games. He was efficient too, shooting 13 for 21 from the field and six for 13 from three-point range.

Ayton was a tower of strength with 28 points on 12-for-14 shooting, 13 rebounds, three blocked shots and three assists.

James had the crowd engaged all game with his play that led to 20 points and six assists.

The left ankle soreness that had Doncic listed as questionable was not an issue for the All-Star guard, his first half showing that he was playing at another level with a triple-double of 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes against the overmatched Wizards.

LeBron James passes the ball around Wizards guard Bub Carrington during the first half.

(Nick Wass / Associated Press)

Doncic dazzled with no-look and lob passes along with three-pointers that seemed to impress even him, considering he looked over to the Lakers’ bench after several spectacular threes.

The 41-year-old James put on a show, throwing down lobs for dunks, drawing cheers and applause from the fans inside Capital One Arena.

There was the lob from Ayton that James threw down left-handed, making teammates leap off their seats and fans gasp and cheer. For added emphasis, James stared at his left hand as he made his way down the court, a knowing look on his face.

There was the lob from Marcus Smart that James threw down for a reverse dunk, again bringing fans and teammates out of their seats.

There was the moment James drove by Washington’s Alex Sarr and threw down another dunk, causing teammates to jump out of their seats again and fans to cheer even louder.

The Lakers (29-18) lost their previous game in Cleveland on Wednesday night by 30 points, an embarrassing effort that they wanted to rebound from against the Wizards.

In building a 77-48 lead at the half, the Lakers demonstrated that they were listening to Redick’s orders. It was the third time this season the Lakers scored 77 or more in a half.

“Yeah, I think playing with a competitive edge and playing together on both ends of the floor,” Redick said. “We’ve talked a lot recently just about doing your job. If you’re supposed to be the low man, be the low man. These guys all have shown they can do it and I think the theme of our season has been the ups and downs and sort of the consistency that we’re searching for on a night-to-night basis.”

Etc.

Though Austin Reaves (left calf strain) was upgraded to questionable for the game, the Lakers guard did not play. He has missed 18 straight games since suffering the injury on Christmas against the Houston Rockets.

Reaves has been working out as he progresses toward a return. The Lakers play again Sunday at the New York Knicks.

“He continues to progress. He hasn’t had any setbacks,” Redick said. “Yesterday was five weeks from the injury. He’s right on schedule, if not a little bit ahead of schedule. So it’s just him being fully confident in his body. And he continues to get great work on the court.”

World number one Judd Trump will take on Ali Carter in the semi-finals of the German Masters after a 5-3 victory over Xiao Guodong in which the pair shared four centuries.

Trump compiled breaks of 107 and 105 open a 2-0 lead and then finished strongly after Guodong recovered with contributions of 104 and 120 before edging ahead by taking the fifth frame.

The world number one, however, would not be denied and took three in a row, with his Chinese opponent failing to score in two of those frames.

Heading into one of the most critical games of the season, UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close believes the adversity her team overcame during an 80-67 win at Illinois on Wednesday will help the mindset going into Sunday’s home contest against No. 8 Iowa.

UCLA (20-1 overall, 10-0 Big Ten) is on a 14-game winning streak and moved up a spot to No. 2 in this week’s polls behind unbeaten Connecticut. All-American center Lauren Betts had 23 points and nine rebounds despite early foul trouble versus the Illini, and the Bruins won despite shooting one for 10 from three-point range.

“Illinois was a tight game and I actually thought there was some great value in that we were challenged,” Close said after practice Friday at Mo Ostin Basketball Center. “They cut it to five in the second half and we had to practice poise and make some adjustments to how they were playing. They’re the first team that’s played us one-on-one in the post. We had to make some adjustments in our defense in the second half.

“I could’ve coached better. I could’ve made adjustments in the first half to disrupt their rhythm. We got challenged, we had to respond with less margin for error and had to do it quick in a pressurized, hostile environment. That’ll be a lesson that bodes well for us as we go down the stretch to possibly a more contested game against Iowa.”

Senior guard Kiki Rice reflected on the Illinois game: “They had a great crowd. Everything’s not going to be easy. Illinois has a really good young core and is going to be really good in coming years. They made it difficult for us.”

Iowa (18-3, 9-1) lost 81-69 to unranked USC on Thursday night to fall into a second-place tie with No. 9 Michigan in the conference. The Hawkeyes will be the ninth ranked opponent UCLA has faced and the highest since its lone defeat to Texas in Las Vegas on Nov. 26. Iowa had won eight straight before being upset by the Trojans.

“I like the trajectory, the coachable spirit and the desire to put winning first from this group,” Close said. “Illinois was probably our worst execution of a scouting report in awhile. We did not play with the same urgency, focus and connectivity that we had been leading up to that. Every game teaches us something different and that one had some painful lessons. We did not take care of things under our control and we did not have the same level of urgency to execute the game plan.”

What was the coach’s message to her team?

“Get better,” Close said matter-of-factly. “That’s the answer to every question — find ways to improve, to use every day’s experiences to make improvements in your game.”

Guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, a graduate student who played four years at Washington State and hails from New Zealand, anticipated a difficult game at Illinois.

“That’s what we expect from most teams — they’re going to take a good swing at us,” she said. “They threw some different things at us that we haven’t necessarily seen this season. We can learn from that. It helps prepare us for what other teams may try to do to us.”

Close expects a competitive game Sunday.

“Both teams have arguably been playing the most consistent basketball in the conference,” she said. “They stumbled last night against USC, but I have so much respect for the job Jan [Jensen] has done with that group. They’re disciplined, they know their identity and they play to their strengths really well.

“I shouldn’t have to motivate too much for Sunday’s game. It’s pretty much the top two teams in the conference having the chance to battle it out on our home court. It’s two very different styles of play. Who can assert their will and play the game the way they want to play it? This is another opportunity to develop more consistency and get closer to where we want to go.”

If the teams’ last meeting is any indication, Sunday’s game at Pauley Pavilion could be decided on the final possession. The third-ranked Bruins edged unranked Iowa, 67-65, in Iowa City last February behind 22 points and 12 rebounds from Betts and 12 points from Rice.

“Iowa is a really good team,” Leger-Walker added. “Everyone in the Big Ten is really strong. It’s on us to be prepared and to make sure we’re locked in to what we want to do in terms of scouting and our own strategy. They’re going to come hard and we have to be ready for that.”

Iowa freshman Journey Houston scored a career-high 16 points and Ava Heiden added 13 against USC. The Hawkeyes have won 17 of their last 20 regular-season Big Ten games.

Close cited Rice and Leger-Walker as examples of players who have valued loyalty.

“Kiki and Charlisse are both absolutely committed to work ethic and growing and it is a joy to coach them,” Close said. “Kiki stayed four years and paid her dues but so did Charlisse. She stayed four years and then happened to have a COVID year and an injury situation she responded to. Two kids who were committed and loyal and stayed the course, and I want to honor them because less and less people are doing that.

“The reality is that we are not going to have as many four-year players as we used to. I can’t build only from the freshmen out anymore. I don’t like that. I wouldn’t prefer that, but my job is to lead in the landscape I’ve been given. Instant gratification is something you’re always trying to battle. The way we’ve chosen to attack entitlement or instant gratification is to practice gratitude and to serve selflessly. I want players to maximize their opportunities, but there’s also a lot of value in having to work long and hard for what you want.”

A man has been arrested by police in Spain after they recovered a stolen statue of the late golfer Seve Ballesteros.

A ‌statue of the late golfer Seve Ballesteros, which ‍had vanished ‍from his hometown of Pedrena in northern Spain’s Cantabria region, was found chopped into pieces as the alleged thief prepared to sell it for its ⁠bronze, police have said.

Valued at about 30,000 euros ($35,820) ​but holding significant sentimental importance for locals and ‍fans, the statue was discovered in a storage room in Santander. It had been cut in half at the waist.

While the ‍torso and ⁠head remained intact, the arms were broken into several pieces.

A 22-year-old man with a criminal record for copper theft was arrested on Thursday, police revealed on Friday, adding that more individuals could be involved.

Police had focused their investigation on metal trading centres, suspecting the ​thieves planned to sell the bronze ‌for profit.

The 100kg (220.46-pound) statue, depicting Ballesteros in a signature pose celebrating his 1984 British Open win at St Andrews in Scotland, ‌was torn from its base in La Barqueria Park earlier this month before being ‌dragged across grass and dismembered for ⁠transport.

Created in 2009 by sculptor Salvador Garcia Ceballos, it was permanently installed in Pedrena in 2017.

Ballesteros, who won five major titles during his ‌career and became a fan favourite for his capacity for digging himself out of trouble on the golf course, ‍died in 2011 aged 54 after a battle with cancer.

The WNBA and the players union will meet Monday in New York for the first time in weeks to try to move the stalled collective bargaining negotiations forward.

Kelsey Plum, who is vice president of the players union, mentioned the meeting to reporters Friday while preparing for a game in Philadelphia with the Unrivaled three-on-three league.

“We’ll learn a lot from this meeting. I’m not trying to put it on the meeting, but this is a meeting that I think everyone understands what’s at stake,” Plum said. “The league has their timelines; we as players understand what’s at stake. I always come into anything that I do with a great attitude, and I’m going to see the best in this.”

Plum, the former Sparks guard who is an unrestricted free agent, will be joined by other members of the executive council, including Nneka Ogwumike and Napheesa Collier, as well as union leadership.

The league will have its regular negotiating team, including commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the labor relations committee and a few other owners, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.

The person said the league had been asking for the meeting for weeks and it was agreed upon by the union Thursday.

Players said union leadership had been chatting with them frequently.

“Both sides want to get something done, we just got to make moves to get there,” Chicago guard Rachel Banham said. ”It’s got to be an actual negotiation with compromise.”

New York guard Natasha Cloud took a more hardened stance.

“It would be the worst business decision of any business to not literally pay the players that make your business go. Without us, there is no W season,” she said.

Talks to reach a new CBA haven’t had much traction over the last few weeks, as the union says it is waiting for a response to a proposal it sent around Christmas that included a 30% gross revenue share for the players. According to another person familiar with the negotiations, the league didn’t feel that proposal was much different than the previous one the union sent.

That person spoke on condition of anonymity also because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.

The league’s most recent offer last month would guarantee a maximum base salary of $1 million that could reach $1.3 million through revenue sharing. That’s up from the current $249,000 and could grow to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement, the person told the Associated Press.

The two sides have been in a “status quo” period after the latest extension of the CBA ran out Jan. 9. They agreed to a moratorium a few days later that halted the initial stages of free agency in which teams would seek to deliver qualifying offers and franchise tag designations to players.

If a new CBA isn’t agreed upon soon, it could delay the start of the season. It’s already delayed the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland. The league did release its schedule last week with the regular season set to begin May 8.

The last CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it was agreed to. It easily could take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin Sunday.

Feinberg writes for the Associated Press.

England’s Lottie Woad hit a three-under-par 69 on day two of the Tournament of Champions to share the lead with three-time major winner Lydia Ko.

The 22-year-old, who only turned professional last year and was invited to play at the season-opening LPGA tournament in Orlando, built on her opening round of 67 to jointly lead with New Zealander Ko on eight under.

Olympic Champion Ko, 28, added a 67 on Friday to Thursday’s 69 round the Lake Nona course.

Woad, who hit four birdies and one bogey, said: “I looked at the leaderboard quite a lot because I was getting annoyed.

“The pins were probably a little trickier, so [there] weren’t as many birdies as [Thursday], so I just had to keep giving myself chances.”

Ko, meanwhile, is bogey-free through 36 holes but the 2024 Women’s Open champion said she would never call the Florida course “easy”, adding: “I think this golf course changes a lot depending on how the conditions are.”

On Thursday night, the Palisades High boys’ basketball team savored something it had not experienced since midway through last season: homecourt advantage.

Hosting a game inside their own gym for the first time in 388 days, the Dolphins did not let their fans or their classmates leave disappointed, beating Fairfax 75-28 to stay on track for their first outright league title in 30 years.

“It’s great to be back … it was cool,” junior center Julian Cunningham said. “We haven’t had a game here in over a year. There’s no way we were gonna lose. It was a great atmosphere and we beat ’em by 50, so that’s pretty good.”

Palisades’ boys had last taken their home floor for an official contest on Jan. 6, 2025 — one day before the Palisades fire broke out and dealt severe damage to their campus and community. First-year coach Jeff Bryant had to scramble to find someplace — anyplace — to practice for what would turn out to be 42 games.

“I never thought it would be this long,” Bryant admitted. “When the fire happened, I was thinking we’d have some access to our gym in the summer. I remember at a parent meeting saying we’ll 100% be playing our league games at home. When the new [school year] started we were told September, then October, then November, then the start of the second semester. It kept getting pushed back.”

The team held its first practice at Palisades on Monday and students returned to campus Tuesday morning after attending classes for nine months at what came to be known as “PaliHi South,” the old Sears department store building in nearby Santa Monica.

Fans were treated to a blowout win in the Palisades boys’ basketball return to the school gym for the first time in 388 days.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“UCLA, Memorial Park, Paul Revere, St. Bernard …” Bryant said, rattling off just a few of the sites his team practiced at while waiting for the green light to return to campus. “We’ve been road warriors for over a year now and I definitely think it’s been an advantage, but now we’re looking forward to being home and we’re going to feed off that energy starting tonight.”

Pacing the Dolphins on Thursday were 6-6 junior twins OJ and EJ Popoola, who got the home crowd cheering by combining for six dunks. They were raised in Las Vegas and transferred to Palisades in June. Two of the most highly touted prospects in the 2027 class, the brothers shined in their first game at their new school, scoring 19 and 16 points, respectively.

“It was amazing — I’ve been thinking about this game for so long,” said OJ, who had 10 points in the first quarter as Palisades stormed to a 45-14 halftime lead. “Even though we weren’t here last year, we feel like it’s our community too. EJ and I have been playing with each other for so long and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

EJ Popoola is averaging 21 points per game, OJ Popoola is averaging 18 and junior Jack Levey, the most outstanding player in the Western League last winter, is the section’s most dangerous long-range shooter, averaging 45% from beyond the arc.

Another reason Palisades is one of the favorites to win the Open Division is the all-around play of freshman guard Phillip Reed, who is averaging 17 points, six assists and six rebounds.

“It felt surreal — I was really nervous,” EJ Popoola added. “The energy was there, the fans showed up and we’re finally finding our rhythm as a team. It’s a work in progress, but me and OJ have been through it all together and I thank God I’m a twin!”

OJ Popoola soars for one of his two dunks in the Dolphins’ first home game since the Palisades fire.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

AJ Neale scored 13 points and Reed added 10 for the Dolphins, who scored 10 seconds into the contest on Levey’s alley-oop to EJ Popoola and never trailed.

Guards Kameron Augustin and Jomari Marshall scored seven apiece for the Lions (15-8, 5-2).

Palisades went 12-7 in its last 19 games of 2024-25, falling to Chatsworth in the City Section Open Division semifinals before reaching the Division III regional semifinals (hosting three games at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa). The Dolphins are off to a 13-11 start in 2025-26 while playing the toughest schedule of any team in the City. They have grown accustomed to playing in hostile environments and hope their “us against the world” mentality works in their favor once the playoffs start.

Thursday’s win kept the Dolphins alone atop the Western League standings at 8-0, 2½ games ahead of Fairfax with only four left. If Palisades seals the deal, it will mark the program’s first league crown since it finished in a three-way tie for first place with Westchester and Fairfax in 2011-12 under then coach James Paleno.

What a difference a year makes. Westchester, which beat Palisades twice on its way to winning league and capturing the City Open Division title last February, is fifth in league at 4-5 and lost its first meeting with Palisades by 38 points.

“The environment was amazing and I was a little stiff on my shots for the first 20 minutes or so, but after that I was feeling it,” said Levey, who swished two of his team’s 10 three-pointers. “This was personal. We can’t lose our first game back. Winning City is the standard, but [state] is what we really want to win.”

Palisades High’s Phil Reed makes a layup against Fairfax in the first half Thursday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Palisades lost 10 of its first 13 games, including six straight while several key players recovered from injuries — but Bryant never lost faith. “That losing streak strengthened us,” he said. “I could’ve lost the team. Instead, guys stuck to the plan. Now we’re trending in the right direction. We haven’t played our best game yet. Our biggest challenge is what’s next.”

Through this ordeal, Bryant has learned patience and perseverance.

“The hardest part has been communicating with the parents,” Bryant said. “You have to go with the flow. They want answers and sometimes you honestly don’t know. When games are canceled, it hurts the younger kids most because lower-level games aren’t going to be made up. So they really miss out.”

The Popoola twins are motivated to lead Palisades to its first undisputed league championship since their father, Chris, helped the Dolphins to a third consecutive Western League title in 1995-1996. One of Popoola’s teammates that year was Donzell Hayes, who piloted the program from 2016-23 and attended Thursday’s game.

Palisades is chasing its third City title and first since winning Division I in 2020. Chris Marlowe, who captained the USA volleyball team to the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, led the Dolphins to a 21-1 record and the City Section basketball championship in 1969, beating Reseda in the final at Pauley Pavilion under the program’s first coach, Jerry Marvin.

Jack Levey celebrates a big win in the Dolphins’ return to their home court against Western League rival Fairfax.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Rams kick returner Xavier Smith muffs a punt as Seattle’s Dareke Young recovers the ball in the third quarter Sunday in the NFC championship game.

(Jane Gershovich / Getty Images)

Mistake-prone special teams: Blocked kicks led to multiple early-season defeats, and the Rams in November signed Harrison Mevis to replace Joshua Karty and veteran snapper Jake McQuaide to replace Alex Ward.

A punt return for a touchdown by Seattle’s Rashid Shaheed on Dec. 18 ultimately led to McVay firing special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn.

Punter Ethan Evans was mostly solid and Mevis performed well. But punt returner Xavier Smith’s attempt to catch a ball while he was falling down in the NFC championship game resulted in a fumble that led to a pivotal touchdown by the Seahawks.

Too much for Tutu: Don’t blame receiver Tutu Atwell.

The Rams selected the diminutive-but-speedy receiver in the second round of the 2021 draft, but McVay, who is regarded as perhaps the best offensive mind in football, never fully maximized Atwell’s skill set. Atwell became a free agent after the 2024 season, and the Rams gave him a $10-million, one-year contract, ostensibly with promises that they had finally figured it out.

Alas, Atwell caught six passes (about $1.7 million per catch), including an 88-yard winning touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. He was not active for the divisional-round playoff game against the Chicago Bears or the NFC championship.

No investment in secondary: The Rams were so confident the pass rush would be dominant, they stood pat and made no changes to the secondary. No draft picks. No free agents.

They made a trade deadline deal for cornerback Roger McCreary but otherwise rode with the same group from 2024.

In the NFC championship, Cobie Durant and Darious Williams started at cornerback.

Nacua’s social media mistake: Nacua, perhaps more than any other Rams player, embraces social media opportunities and has become one of the NFL’s most popular personalities.

But while appearing on a livestream a few days before a critical Week 16 game at Seattle, Nacua made critical comments about officials and, unbeknownst to Nacua, made an anti-semetic gesture. Nacua apologized and the NFL and the Rams issued statements. After scoring two touchdowns and amassing 225 yards receiving in the overtime defeat, Nacua posted another critical comment about officials. He was fined $25,000.

Lost home-field advantage: Entering a Week 13 game at Carolina, the Rams were 9-2, had won six games in a row and held the No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs, which came with home-field advantage for the playoffs.

The Rams lost to the Panthers, the first of three losses in their final six games. They finished with the No. 5 seed.

That meant the Rams probably would have to win three road games to advance to the Super Bowl. They came back for playoff victories at Carolina and Chicago but could not do it at Seattle.

Miguel Rojas is the latest Dodger to withdraw from consideration for the World Baseball Classic, joining Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Andy Ibáñez and perhaps other players. MLB Network will reveal all 20 team rosters Thursday at 4 p.m. PT.

Rojas, who turns 37 next month, will not represent his native Venezuela because of difficulty obtaining insurance. The versatile World Series star expressed regret that he cannot play in an Instagram story that included a photo of himself with the Venezuelan flag draped over his shoulders.

“Today I am very sad,” he wrote in Spanish. “A real pity to not be able to represent my country and wear that flag on my chest. On this occasion, age wasn’t just a number.”

Insurance was required to guarantee his $5.5-million salary in case he missed Dodgers games because of injuries incurred during the WBC, which will take place March 5-17 in Tokyo, Miami, Houston and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Rojas’ situation is similar to that of Clayton Kershaw ahead of the 2023 WBC. The pitcher was disappointed that he couldn’t play for Team USA because his injury history made obtaining insurance impossible. The Dodgers declined to waive his insurance requirement and assume financial risk in case Kershaw got hurt during the tournament.

“I’m frustrated,” Kershaw said at the time. “They should make it easy for guys that want to play to play.”

Insurance coverage protects teams from having to pay a player for time missed because of an injury stemming from the WBC, which requires participants to undergo entrance and exit physicals to document injury information.

Players can be deemed uninsurable for several reasons, a source told The Times in 2023. Included are players who finished the previous season on the injured list or spent considerable time on the injured list. Also uninsurable are players diagnosed with a “chronic condition.”

Rojas, who has said this will be his last major league season as a player, has sustained a succession of lower-body injuries in recent years. The 12-year veteran utility infielder began his career with the Dodgers in 2014 then played for the Miami Marlins for eight years before rejoining the Dodgers in 2023.

He will always be remembered by Dodgers fans for his game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The baseball Rojas struck sold for $156,000 at auction.

This will mark the second WBC in a row that Rojas has missed. He was on Venezuela’s 2023 roster but withdrew after fellow infielder Gavin Lux tore his ACL during spring training, increasing Rojas’ role with the Dodgers.

Hernández has elected not to play for the Dominican Republic while Pages and Ibáñez — who signed a one-year, $1.2-million contract with the Dodgers this offseason — won’t suit up for Cuba. It is unclear whether insurance concerns were factors in their decisions.

However, Houston Astros stars Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa were forced to withdraw because of their inability to obtain insurance. Altuve would have played for Venezuela and Correa for Puerto Rico.

Dodgers who plan to play in the WBC include World Series heroes Will Smith of Team USA and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto of Team Japan. Shohei Ohtani announced in November that he would play for Japan, although the two-way superstar has not decided whether he will pitch.

Smith will be a teammate of Kershaw, who because he retired from the Dodgers doesn’t need insurance now to participate in the WBC. In fact, he’s gone from needing insurance to being insurance.

“I just want to be the insurance policy,” Kershaw told MLB Network. “If anybody needs a breather, or if they need me to pitch back-to-back-to-back, or if they don’t need me to pitch at all, I’m just there to be there. I just want to be a part of this group.

“I learned a long time ago, you just want to be a part of great things.”

U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn says her “Olympic dream is not over” after crashing and injuring her knee during a downhill race that was meant to be her final warmup before the start of the Milan Cortina Games next week.

“I crashed today in the Downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee,” the 41-year-old former Olympic gold medalist posted Friday on her Instagram Story. “I am discussing the situation with my doctors and team and will continue to undergo further exams.

“This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics… but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback.

“My Olympic dream is not over. Thank you all for all of the love and support. I will give more information when I have it. … It’s not over until it’s over.”

Taking part in a World Cup race in Crans Montana, Vonn lost control while attempting to land a jump on the upper portion of the course and slid into the safety netting. After receiving medical attention for about five minutes, Vonn slowly skied to the finish line, using her poles to support herself and stopping twice to clutch her knee.

She smiled and waved to the crowd after crossing the finish line and received a long embrace from teammate Jacqueline Wiles before entering the medical tent. She was later airlifted off the slope for further evaluation.

Vonn was the third skier to crash during the race, which was being held in difficult conditions with low visibility. The event was canceled after Vonn’s fall.

After nearly six years away from ski racing, Vonn made a comeback last year and has two victories and three additional podium finishes in five downhill races this season — all with a partial titanium implant in her right knee.

At the 2010 Vancouver Games, Vonn became the only U.S. woman to win Olympic gold in downhill skiing. She also won bronze medals in the super-G 2010 and downhill in 2018. On Dec. 23, Vonn announced on Instagram she had qualified for “my 5th and final Olympics!”

“When I made the decision to return to ski racing, I always had one eye on Cortina because it’s a place that is very, very special to me,” she wrote. “Although I can’t guarantee any outcomes, I can guarantee that I will give my absolute best every time l kick out of the starting gate. No matter how these games end up, I feel like I’ve already won.”

The opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Games is Feb. 6. Vonn’s first scheduled event is the women’s downhill on Feb. 8. She had also planned on competing in the super-G and the new team combined event.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chalobah has attacking threat from set pieces and he’s decent for defensive contributions too. If you want another route into the Chelsea clean sheets then consider Sanchez in goal.

Joao Pedro frustrated FPL managers earlier in the season but has performed well under Rosenior and seems to be first choice ahead of Delap.

Chelsea will have a tricky time balancing their squad with all the competitions they are in. They are still in Europe and will have fixtures in both domestic cup competitions too. Therefore, there’s a chance some of their assets rotate.

Most at risk of rotation of the four highlighted would be Pedro, with Delap likely to take some of his minutes. Slight risk with Fernandez too, but Chalobah and Sanchez will most likely be safe from rotation.

If you want to watch top pitching in high school baseball this season, stop by a Bay League game. During Thursday’s media day at Mira Costa, three outstanding senior pitchers look physically and emotionally prepared to show how good they are.

Garrett Jacobs from Mira Costa, a UCLA commit, Robby Zimmerman from Redondo Union, a UCLA commit, and Kai Van Scoyoc, a USC commit, are coming off good junior seasons. Add junior Jonah Cohen, a UCLA commit at Palos Verdes, and you have to feel sympathy for Bay League hitters this season.

Jacobs was the best of all last season, going 11-1. He had 103 strikeouts and 13 walks in 70 innings. Zimmerman, a 6-foot-6 left-hander, is the best pro prospect because of his size and potential. Van Scoyoc and Cohen will be a formidable one-two duo for Palos Verdes. They all know and like each other, so it should be fun for fans and players when they face off.

Zimmerman is a cousin of Redondo Union girls’ volleyball standout Abby Zimmerman. Most of the Zimmermans are volleyball players except for Robby and brother Danny, who used to play baseball at Michigan. Yet invite him to the beach and he’ll be happy to join in the family fun using his size to his advantage.

Torrance and West Torrance also figure to be competitive in the Bay League. Torrance returns its top pitcher in junior Aiden Anaya, who’s playing soccer right now. Joey Kim is expected to be a key pitcher for West Torrance.

Mira Costa players have the advantage of walking around or going to the store and running into a Dodger or pro player in Manhattan Beach. The school is holding its alumni game on Saturday and honoring five grads who have played in the major leagues in Kyle Karros, Chase Meidroth, Petey Halpin, Joe Moeller and Jim Pena.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Novak Djokovic stuns reigning two-time champion Jannik Sinner to set up Australian Open final against Carlos Alcaraz.

Novak ‍Djokovic ‍channelled his halcyon days in a five-set classic to dethrone Jannik Sinner and become ⁠the oldest man to reach ​the Australian Open final ‍in the professional era at a rocking Rod Laver Arena.

Four months before his ‍39th ⁠birthday, Djokovic showed he remains unbeatable on his day as he sent the double defending champion packing with a 3-6 6-3 4-6 6-4 ​6-4 win in a 1:32am finish early on Saturday in Melbourne (14:32 GMT on Friday).

“It feels surreal to be honest, playing over four hours,” Djokovic said on ​court.

“I was reminiscing in 2012 when I played Rafa [Nadal] in the final, that was six ‍hours almost.

“The level of intensity and quality was high [against Sinner], and that was the only way to have a chance to win.

“He won the last five matches against me, he had my mobile number, so I had to change my ‍number tonight.

“Jokes aside I ⁠said at the net: ‘Thanks for allowing me at least one’. Tremendous respect, an incredible player. He pushed me to the limit, so he deserves applause for his performance.”

Djokovic will meet world number one Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s decider, the Spaniard having fought off Alexander Zverev in the longest Australian Open semifinal.

Eighteen years after his first Melbourne crown, Djokovic will strive for a record-extending 11th against Alcaraz and the unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title that has eluded him.

Djokovic needed incredible ​fortune to reach the semifinals, with his quarterfinal opponent, Lorenzo Musetti, retiring injured ‌after taking the first two sets.

The Serb enjoyed a walkover in the fourth round as well, when Jakub Mensik pulled out.

But it was hard work and mental toughness that got Djokovic over the line against Sinner, a player who had beaten him in ‌their previous five matches.

Victory came grudgingly.

He had to save a slew of break points in the decisive set before finally getting a look at Sinner’s ‌serve at 3-3.

Flooring the Italian in three punishing rallies, the Serb ⁠broke him to lead 4-3, raised one fist and threw an icy stare at his player’s box.

Djokovic had to save another three break points in the next service game, but sent Serbian fans into delirium when he survived them all and held with an ‌ace.

Serving for the match at 5-4, Djokovic summoned the grit and champion spirit of 20 years at the top, setting up two match points with a forehand winner down the line.

Sinner saved both, but finally fired ‍a backhand wide to concede, leaving Djokovic to throw away his racket, get down on his knees and cross his chest.

After what was undoubtedly one of the greatest performances of his 20-year career, Djokovic thanked all who had stayed until late into the night to provide support – including Australian great Margaret Court, with whom he shares the overall Grand Slam record at 24.

A staggering success was founded in near-perfect ball striking in key moments, but defined by the remarkable resilience he showed to twice level the match against world number two Sinner, saving eight break points in the fifth set as he battled to victory after four hours and nine minutes.

Having looked physically fatigued as he conceded the third set, Djokovic appeared only to grow in strength and refused to fold under sustained pressure as another thrilling conclusion unfolded on Rod Laver Arena.

A 10-time winner in Melbourne, Djokovic produced a remarkable recovery from 0-40 down to move a game from victory after striking the first blow for a 4-3 lead, eventually ending Sinner’s resistance with a fourth match point to become the oldest man in the Open era to reach the Australian Open final.

More to follow.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev over five hours but the latter is upset by officiating of injury.

Alexander Zverev condemned officials for allowing Carlos Alcaraz a medical timeout for a leg problem after ‍falling in an epic five-setter ‍to the Spaniard in the Australian Open’s longest semifinal.

World number one Alcaraz was struggling to move at 4-4 in the third set on Friday and was allowed treatment on his right thigh at the change of ends, leaving the German incensed.

While Alcaraz said post-match that he worried he may have ⁠strained an adductor muscle, Zverev was adamant the Spaniard’s problem was cramp, which is out of bounds for medical timeouts.

Alcaraz dropped ​the next two sets but was back running at full pelt in the fifth to close ‍out an epic 6-4 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-7(4) 7-5 win in five hours and 27 minutes.

“Yeah, I mean, he was cramping, so normally you can’t take a medical timeout for cramping,” third seed Zverev said at his post-match news conference.

“What can I do? It’s not my ‍decision. I didn’t ⁠like it, but it’s not my decision.”

On court, Zverev lashed out at a match supervisor in profanity-laden German as Alcaraz underwent treatment.

“I just said it was b******t, basically,” he said later of the exchange, noting that Alcaraz finished full of running.

“He took like an hour and a half off where he wasn’t moving almost at all.

“So again, maybe I should have used that better in a way. Maybe I should have won the games and won the sets a bit quicker. Then moving into the fifth, maybe he ​wouldn’t have had so much time to recover. But the fifth set, the way ‌he was moving, was incredible again.”

Alcaraz admits his body could be better ahead of Australian Open final

When asked whether he was injured, Alcaraz equivocated.

“Well, obviously I feel tired. You know, obviously my body could be better, to be honest, but I think that’s normal after five hours and a half.”

Runner-up to Jannik Sinner last ‌year, Zverev was serving for the match at 5-4 in the fifth set of Friday’s semifinal but Alcaraz won the next three games to leave the German with ‌another near-miss at the Grand Slams.

Still chasing an elusive first major title, ⁠Zverev said he had more regrets about dropping the second set than his surrender in the fifth.

“I was hanging on for dear life, to be honest. I was exhausted,” he said, rating the match as probably the toughest physically of his career.

“I think we both went to our absolute ‌limits, so somewhat I’m also proud of myself, the way I was hanging on and came back from two sets to love.

“Of course it’s disappointing but this is the start of the year, so if I continue playing that ‍way, if I continue training the way I train, if I continue working on the things that I’ve been working in the offseason, I do believe it’s going to be a good year for me.”