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MAX VERSTAPPEN blasted Formula One title rival Lando Norris for getting in his way after failing to land a maiden pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix.

George Russell denied old rival Verstappen the front row seat with a lightning-quick lap of 1:29.158 – a new record at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

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Verstappen, 28, is eyeing a first-ever win in Sunday’s race to complete the career set of winning at every F1 track on the 2025 calendar.

However, the flying Dutchman aimed a stinging shot at McLaren’s Norris – who had claimed Verstappen was “almost impossible” to beat because he had been “born into F1″ – by accusing him of forcing him into a mistake in the final sector of his lap.

Speaking in a unique three-driver post-qualifying press conference because of the sweltering temperatures, which triggered a first-ever heat hazard warning issued by the FIA on Thursday, Verstappen was asked about a mistake during the final few corners.

The raging Red Bull driver replied: “Yeah, that’s what happens when there’s a car two seconds in front of you cruising in front.

“So that’s noted, will be remembered as well.”

When pressed on the identity of the culprit, Verstappen replied: “Not Oscar [Piastri]. So yeah, that was a bit of a shame. Otherwise, I think it could have been close for a pole.

“It’s very exciting here in qualifying. A little bit disappointed not to be first but for us this weekend the car has been really good.

Briton Russell was delighted with his top spot, a first-ever pole for him in Singapore after a “challenging day” on Friday following a crash in FP2.

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He said: “It’s good to come back and get a good result today.

“There’s a long sweaty race tomorrow but I knew there was potential in the car because Kimi [Antonelli] was doing an amazing job all weekend and I gained quite a lot from seeing what he was capable of doing.”

On the prospect of keeping four-time world champion Verstappen behind him going into Turn 1, Russell added: “Yeah, I mean Singapore’s not always been the kindest to me in the past.

“That’s been through my own doing the majority of the time. I’m not going to get carried away with this pole position. But it’s the best place to start.

“There’s a good pole side advantage here so I like to think I can hold the lead into Turn 1, but obviously this guy on my left is pretty good at race starts and sending it down the inside.”

Such a claim seemed off-beat considering Verstappen is 69 points behind McLaren championship leader Oscar Piastri, who scored third in Saturday’s qualifying.

Yet wins in Italy and Azerbaijan and a strong result in qualifying is threatening to split the drivers’ title race wide open despite the comparative dominance of McLaren for most of the season.

Piastri said: “I obviously would have wanted more but I don’t think we had four-tenths in it to go and get pole.”

Team-mate Norris, who will start P5 in the race, addressed Verstappen’s claim after the session.

He said: “Red Bull always complains. There was no problem with Max driving behind me. Yes, he was riding behind me. But there was such a huge distance, so no problem.”

There was early hope for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari in qualifying as he topped the first session, but he ultimately ended up in P6 with team-mate Charles Leclerc in P7.

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For better or worse, “The Life of a Showgirl,” Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, is unlike anything the megastar has done before.

On the 12-track album, which dropped Friday to mixed critical reception, Swift is uncharacteristically risqué and, for possibly the first time, indulges her inner theater kid without reservation. In that sense, much of the pop record is daringly new.

Still, on each track are sonic echoes from the 14-time Grammy winner’s decades-spanning discography — from the verve of “Reputation” to the romantic whimsy of “Lover.”

Swifties are sure to be playing “The Life of a Showgirl” on repeat today. But if that gets a bit tiresome after the 13th time, here is a list of Swift sister songs to try instead, based on your favorite track from the new album.

(Some song pairings are based on sound, while others are based on shared themes.)

“The Fate of Ophelia”

“Showgirl’s” opening track has a sultry groove and low pulse that could easily be the soundtrack to a flirty nightcap or the series finale of a dark comedy.

Find the same alluring melody with an extra dash of spice in “I Can See You,” a vault track from 2023’s “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” And for bonus points, head to the music video for a dose of the Swift-signature theatricality dripping from “The Life of a Showgirl.”

“Elizabeth Taylor”

This allusive track boasts the album’s most sweeping chorus, anchored by Swift’s mesmeric alto and a masterfully orchestrated rhythm that uses moments of quiet to its advantage.

“Reputation‘s” slow-burn hit “Don’t Blame Me” follows a similar playbook, using a killer choral backing to achieve the same hymnal quality that complex vocal layering creates on “Elizabeth Taylor.”

Plus, both songs share a secret weapon: Swift’s irresistible enunciation of the word “baby.”

“Opalite”

An immediate inductee into Swift’s “Glitter Gel Pen” song Hall of Fame, “Opalite” is for dancing around your kitchen with a glass of orange wine in hand.

Fuel that infectious joy with the most twirl-worthy — and arguably most underrated — track of Swift’s career, “Sweeter Than Fiction.” Swift released this shimmering tune in 2013 for the “One Chance” film soundtrack, and true to its title, it is sweet as a peach.

Honorary mention: If you prefer a tambourine to a synth, try “Lover” B-side “Paper Rings,” perhaps more suitable for kick-stepping than spinning but nonetheless another “Opalite” lookalike.

“Father Figure”

The natural choice here would be “The Man,” another song wherein Swift adopts a masculine persona to prove just what a boss she is.

But I have no more sage advice than to head to George Michael’s original “Father Figure” (1987), which recently got a streaming boost after being featured in the 2024 erotic thriller “Babygirl.” Swift used an interpolation of Michael’s song in her track of the same name — with a gleeful sign-off from the late singer’s estate.

“When we heard the track we had no hesitation in agreeing to this association between two great artists and we know George would have felt the same,” George Michael’s estate wrote Thursday on his official Instagram.

“Eldest Daughter”

It doesn’t feel entirely fair to compare these two — especially given one of them has Phoebe Bridgers and the other one has the line “I’m not a bad b—, and this isn’t savage” — but “Eldest Daughter” and “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version)” share the same grief for a younger self that a woman in her 20s knows best.

If you need a good cry, these two are here for you.

“Ruin the Friendship”

Speaking of debilitating nostalgia, this one might feel a bit out of place in this album’s universe, but it’s a heartrending gem nonetheless.

For a similar remorseful trip into the past, minus the boppy bass line, try “We Were Happy,” a vault track from “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” about young love lost.

“Actually Romantic”

While this alleged Charli XCX diss track may be more scathing than usual for Swift, the singer is no stranger to shade, as evidenced in “Reputation” B-side “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” — a perfect pairing for “Actually Romantic.”

In both songs, Swift is unapologetically petty, offering her foes a metaphorical bouquet of flowers thick with thorns.

These tracks aren’t everyone’s speed, but every misfit has its fans. And in the case of “Actually Romantic,” Nicki Minaj seems to be one of them.

“Wi$h Li$t”

Showcasing this album’s gentler side, “Wi$h Li$t,” which Swift said may be her personal favorite, is a tender tribute to her fiancé Travis Kelce, backed with ethereal synth sounds and soft vocalization from a clearly smitten showgirl.

“I just want you” is also the mission statement of “Glitch,” a short and sweet pop number from 2022’s “Midnights.” Turn this one on, and in no time you’ll find yourself swaying side to side, daydreaming about the love you never expected but can’t imagine letting go.

Honorary mention: For a more upbeat option, go for “Gorgeous,” a bubblegum–pop anthem just as swoonworthy as the aforementioned tracks.

“Wood”

This raunchy disco track had jaws dropping across the globe upon its release, and for good reason.

While not as high on shock factor, Swift’s “I Think He Knows,” a lesser-known track from “Lover,” is equally dancy and down bad. On top of that, it’s famously set at a perfect strutting pace. What more could you ask for?

“CANCELLED!”

This is the second song in Swift’s oeuvre featuring a title with an exclamation point (we’ll get to that later), and it’s not the best one.

But if you like the dark energy Swift has going on here, you can get plenty more of it in her live rock ’n’ roll version of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” which she pulled out for the 1989 World Tour and hasn’t played since.

Here’s hoping the country crossover artist has another genre hop in her.

“Honey”

True to its title, “Honey” is a welcome salve for some of this album’s more sour numbers and shares striking sonic similarities with Swift’s best song adorned with an exclamation point, “‘Slut!’”

The “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” vault track, like “Honey,” uses a name-calling motif to paint a rosy portrait of her romantic partner. Neither is lyrically complex, but if “‘Slut!’” is any indication, “Honey” is sure to wind up a true fan favorite.

“The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter)”

Finding a song that sounds like “The Life of a Showgirl” is a tall order, if not an impossible one.

So for a theme-based pairing, try fellow album closer “Clara Bow,” which caps off the original edition of “The Tortured Poets Department” (2024) with a mournful commentary on the constant churn of young female stars.

As Swift and Carpenter say, “You don’t know the life of a showgirl, babe, and you’re never gonna wanna.”

Honorary mention: For another Swift track about the pitfalls of fame, try “The Lucky One,” off 2012’s “Red.”

Australia are the team to beat in this tournament and Alyssa Healy’s side showed signs of the quality that has seen them rack up so many global titles.

While not at their best against their Trans-Tasman rivals, the overwhelming quality of their line-up was enough to dig their side out of the occasional holes they found themselves in over the course of the match.

Healy’s side is star-studded, and strong enough that it could omit Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham, Heather Graham and Megan Schutt, all players of sufficient quality to be signed as overseas players in the recent Hundred season.

Gardner starred with 16 fours and one six in her aggressive innings, but she was supported by a lower order that bats deep, with McGrath (26), Sophie Molineux (14) and Garth (38) all chipping in useful runs.

Molineux and Darcie Brown bowled superbly in the powerplay, with the former bowling Suzie Bates in the second over after Georgia Plimmer had been run-out without facing.

Alana King took the crucial middle-order wickets of Melie Kerr and Brooke Halliday to deprive Devine of two potential long-term partners at the crease, while Sutherland conceded just 25 runs from her first eight overs.

It was her ninth that brought the game to its dramatic conclusion, with the all-rounder dismissing Devine then Jess Kerr and Eden Carson with consecutive deliveries for a triple-wicket maiden, before Molineux (3-25) wrapped up the match by having Illing caught behind in the following over.

At this time last year, the pressure was palpable.

Up until last October, the Dodgers had a reputation as postseason failures.

It wasn’t an unwarranted distinction. In each of the previous two seasons, the team had been upset in the National League Division Series by lesser opponents in the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. The fall before that, their title defense flamed out against the underdog Atlanta Braves in the NL Championship Series. Yes, they won a World Series in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. But outside of that, it’d been more than three decades since they last triumphed under typical circumstances.

That checkered history weighed on them. Their urgency to change it in last year’s playoffs was fervent.

“That kind of sour taste that you have when you make an early exit from the postseason, our guys are tired of it,” manager Dave Roberts said on the eve of last year’s postseason. “So this is another opportunity. I do sense that edge.”

This week, of course, the Dodgers face a different kind of dynamic.

After their memorable run to a championship last year, the team has gotten the monkey of its full-season title drought off its back. And while expectations are still high, with the Dodgers and their record-setting $400-million roster set to begin the playoffs with a best-of-three wild-card round starting Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, the questions about past October disappointments have dissipated.

So, does the pressure of this postseason feel different?

“You would think,” veteran third baseman Max Muncy said. “But the pressure’s always going to be there. Especially when you’re this team, when you’re the Los Angeles Dodgers, there’s a lot of expectations around you. There’s a lot of pressure.”

Indeed, after an underwhelming regular season that saw the Dodgers win the NL West for the 12th time in the last 13 years, but fail to secure a first-round bye as one of the NL’s top two playoff seeds, the Dodgers have a new task before them.

Erase the frustrations of their 93-win campaign. Maintain the momentum they built with a 15-5 regular-season finish. And recreate the desperation that carried them to the promised land last fall, as they try to become MLB’s first repeat champion in 25 years.

“For us, the challenge is not letting that pressure get to you and finding our rhythm, finding what’s going to work for us this year,” Muncy said. “Each year the team has to find their identity when they get to this point. You have an identity during the regular season, and you have to find a whole ‘nother identity in the postseason.”

The Dodgers’ preferred identity for this year’s team figures to be the opposite of what worked last October.

Unlike last year, the team has a healthy and star-studded starting rotation entering the playoffs. Also unlike last year, the bullpen is a major question mark despite an encouraging end to the regular season.

For the wild-card series, it means the team will need big innings out of Game 1 starter Blake Snell, Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto and (if necessary) Game 3 starter Shohei Ohtani — who is being saved for the potential winner-take-all contest in part to help manage his two-way workload.

Ideally, their production should ease the burden on a relief corps that ranked 21st in the majors in ERA during the regular season, and has no clear-cut hierarchy for its most trusted arms.

“The starting pitching is considerably better” than it was last year, Roberts said Monday. “That’s probably the biggest difference between last year’s team.”

Granted, the Dodgers do feel better about their bullpen right now, thanks to the return of Roki Sasaki, the reallocation (at least for this series) of Emmet Sheehan and Tyler Glasnow from the rotation to relief roles, and recent improvements from Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott.

“[We have] much more confidence than we had a couple weeks ago,” Roberts said of the bullpen. “I think that it’s because those guys have shown the confidence in themselves, where they’re throwing the baseball. I think last week we saw guys more on the attack setting the tone, versus pitching behind or pitching too careful.”

Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott delivers against the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 19.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Still, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will pitch in the ninth inning, or be called upon in the highest-leverage moments.

Close, late contests would be best for the Dodgers to avoid.

To that end, the continuation of the Dodgers’ recent uptick at the plate would also help. During a dismal 22-32 stretch from July 4 to Sept. 6, the Dodgers ranked 27th in scoring, struggling to overcome injuries to several key pieces, slumps from some of their biggest stars, and a general lack of consistent execution in situational opportunities. Over their closing 20 games, however, the lineup averaged an NL-best 5.55 runs per game behind late-season surges from Ohtani and Mookie Betts, plus team-wide improvements while hitting with runners in scoring position.

“The team is starting to fire on all cylinders, finally,” Muncy said. “It’s something that we haven’t really felt all year.”

The Dodgers had good news on the injury front during Monday’s team workout at Dodger Stadium. Muncy, who missed the last four games of the regular season while battling leg bruises and what Roberts has described as other “overall body” issues, is expected to be in the lineup. So too is Tommy Edman, who hasn’t played in the field since last Wednesday because of a lingering ankle injury.

The big question remains catcher Will Smith, who has been out since Sept. 9 with a right hand fracture.

Roberts said Monday the team has been “encouraged” with Smith’s recent progress. The slugger was even able to take live at-bats Monday night.

“If he can get through today and feel good,” Roberts said, “then it’s a viable thought” that he could be on the final 26-man roster the Dodgers will have to submit ahead of Tuesday’s game for the wild-card series.

Either way, the Dodgers’ biggest concern remains on maintaining their recent level of play. Erasing past October failures might no longer be a motivation. But, like Muncy, Roberts said the urgency to win another World Series remains the same.

“I don’t know if it’s easier or harder that we won last year,” Roberts said. “But, honestly, all we care about is winning this year.”

Spain’s Marc Marquez completed his incredible comeback story as he won his seventh MotoGP World Championship to move level with Italian great Valentino Rossi.

Marquez, 32, finished second at the Japan Grand Prix behind Italian team-mate Francesco Bagnaia to give himself an unassailable lead in the championship standings with five races to go as he secured his first title since 2019.

He held his head in his hands and sobbed on his bike as he crossed the line, before being congratulated by his brother Alex, who was his nearest challenger in the title race this season but finished sixth in Motegi.

“It’s impossible even to speak, I just want to enjoy the moment, but it’s true that it was difficult, it was super difficult, but now I’m at peace with myself,” a tearful Marquez said.

Marquez’s achievement comes after a “nightmare” that started in 2020.

After winning four consecutive championships from 2016 to 2019 he suffered a string of injuries, including breaking his arm in 2020, which needed four operations over two years.

The years that followed were filled with serious injuries and major crashes, and in 2023 he left Honda after 11 years to join Ducati.

“I did a big mistake in my career, to come back too early [from surgery]. And then I fight, fight, fight – and I won again! So I’m at peace,” he added.

Marquez has 11 wins this season and stretched his championship lead to 201 points over his brother in second place.

Harlequins: T Green; David, Beard, Kerr, Murley; J Evans, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Williams, Cunningham-South, Treadwell, Kenningham, W Evans, Dombrandt

Replacements: Turner, Els, Streeter, J Green, Carr, M Green, Kolade, Anderson

Sin-bin: Cunningham-South [33]

Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Arundell; Ojomoh, Spencer; Obano, Dunn, Sela, Roux, Ewels, Bayliss, Pepper, Reid

Replacements: Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Griffin, Molony, Hill, Carr-Smith, Harris, Underhill

Referee: Stuart Terheege

Mark Allen survived a spirited comeback from China’s Zhou Yuelong to win the English Open in a final-frame decider and claim his first ranking title in 19 months.

Northern Ireland’s Allen led Sunday’s final in Brentwood 6-2 and 7-3 before Zhou roared back to win five consecutive frames and lead for the first time.

Former world number one Allen, however, showed his own powers of recovery to win the last two frames and win 9-8 in a final that lasted seven hours over two sessions.

It is Allen’s 12th ranking title and first since the Players Championship in February 2024.

With Sunday’s victory, 39-year-old Allen earned the £100,000 top prize and lifted the Steve Davis Trophy for the first time.

It was a fitting end to the week for the former UK Championship and Masters winner, who also edged out Stuart Bingham, Ding Junhui, Elliot Slessor and Jak Jones in final-frame deciders to reach the final.

“I thought Zhou battled really hard in that second session, he played some good stuff,” said Allen.

“He put me under pressure, I missed a few balls and I was nervous. I missed a few that I shouldn’t have but at 8-7 I suddenly switched on a bit.

“It’s a good trait to have. I don’t want to keep relying on it but I felt as good as any part of the match in those last two frames, but I feel for Zhou, he probably deserved that for the character he showed.”

Defending champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson remains in heptathlon medal contention with just two events remaining in Tokyo – but rival Nafi Thiam withdrew on Saturday.

Johnson-Thompson, bidding for a third world title, will begin the final session of the competition in third place, 167 points behind American leader Anna Hall and 59 behind Taliyah Brooks.

The 32-year-old recorded a long jump best of 6.42m on Saturday, after marginally fouling on a much bigger leap with her third and final attempt, to reach 4,874 points before the javelin (11:00 BST) and 800m events (13:11).

Ireland’s Kate O’Connor dropped to fourth, 50 points outside the podium places, while GB’s Jade O’Dowda is sixth.

Belgium’s Olympic champion Thiam ended the penultimate session in eighth place – however her coach later confirmed that she would not continue.

“I withdrew her from the competition,” said Michael van der Plaetsen, according to Belgium’s national press agency, external.

Thiam, who has split the past four world golds with Johnson-Thompson, had a disrupted build-up to the championships amid a disagreement with Belgian Athletics.

The 31-year-old’s federation have rejected her claims that she was blocked from joining the team camp before the championships for refusing to sign its code of conduct, relating to a sponsor conflict.

Prior to her withdrawal, Thiam told Belgian newspaper DH Les Sports+, external: “It was difficult from the beginning. I tried to fight, to go through these difficulties, but clearly it does not follow. I have trouble explaining it myself.

“Clearly my body is not happy. I don’t want to do anything stupid, because I think that now, finishing would be for the principle.”

Age: 29 Ranking: 55 Strength: Forehand

British number two Katie Boulter, appearing in the BJK Cup for the seventh year, brings some much-needed experience to Anne Keothavong’s side.

She won her singles match against Germany in April’s qualifying event but lost in the singles against the Netherlands, before she and Jodie Burrage teamed up to win the decisive doubles match and clinch Britain’s finals place.

It has, however, been a mixed 2025 for Boulter.

She missed some tournaments early in the year with a foot injury before claiming a maiden clay title at a WTA 125 event in Paris.

A second-round defeat at the first women’s Queen’s event for 52 years was part of a difficult grass-court season, and Boulter relinquished her two-year reign as British number one to Raducanu as a result.

She achieved a fourth career win against a top-10 player – defeating Paula Badosa in the Wimbledon first round – but lost to lucky loser Solana Sierra in the next.

Boulter did not make it past the second round at any of the four Grand Slams, admitting at Wimbledon that her “moment might not come”.

But Boulter has often highlighted her love of competing for her country, with the BJK Cup bringing out the best in her.

That was in evidence against Japan on Thursday as she dropped just three games in a straight-set win over Moyuka Uchijima to secure Britain’s semi-final spot.

Morning training would start early.

If any of Waterman’s young players weren’t on the touchline by 6:30am, the gate would shut and she would exclude any latecomers from the session.

“I lived in Gloucester, so I would travel to Hartpury and get all the equipment out before each session,” she said.

“I said to the girls if I can be here and be ready for you on time – you only have to walk 200 metres to get here.

“I was pretty strict with them, but for good reason – if you turned up to an England session late, you wouldn’t be training and you wouldn’t be selected.

“I would much rather they learn their lessons with me in that safe environment.

“Living that far away from home at that age, they needed a coach, a mentor, various elements of being a psychologist, a bit of a mum in some ways.

“I was called ‘Mummy Nolli’ quite a lot! There was a bit of a running joke that not many could come out of a meeting with me, without having had a little bit of a cry.

“I think I was just that consistent and constant person that they could come to and talk to about anything.”

It was serious. But, inevitably, it was also silly.

Waterman remembers one player having their possessions covered in cling film. Another had their legs turn orange when one of her team-mates swapped massage oil for fake tan.

“It was the best time of my life,” says Jones. “It was such an important time, it set us up for now.”

Waterman reluctantly left after three years in the role, struggling to balance being a player and a teacher.

Nine months later, she scored the opening try in England’s 21-9 win over Canada in the World Cup final.

In nine days time, she hopes to see her former charges become the first England team to win the title since then.

“They deserve everything that comes their way because they are not just incredibly talented rugby players, but more so because they are brilliant women,” said Waterman.

“They are exactly who I want my son, along with so many young girls and daughters across the country, to be looking up to. They are mega.”

Whether or not Waterman’s former pupils end up posing with the trophy on 27 September, it won’t be the image that means most to her however.

“They are at an age now where some are having had children or are getting married and I see the photographs – and, years on, there is always a photograph of them with their friends from Hartpury,” she says.

“The lifelong friendships that they all have are so special. To me, that is one of the biggest and most precious things I’ve taken from my time coaching them – my friendship with them, but also the friendships and fun that they have still together.”

You can find out more about Hartpury’s influence on the Red Roses on a special report to be broadcast by BBC Bristol on Friday, 26 September.

Marquez’s latest victory means he can clinch a seventh MotoGP world title at the next race in Japan in a fortnight.

Ducati’s Marc Marquez resisted a spirited challenge from Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi to win the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday, taking his revenge after crashing out of the lead in Saturday’s sprint, and inching closer to the MotoGP title.

Bezzecchi had inherited victory in the sprint when Marquez crashed out. This time, however, the determined Spaniard overtook the Aprilia rider on lap 12, having started on the second row of the grid, and never looked back.

Marquez’s 11th race victory of the season takes him to 512 points – a record tally for a MotoGP rider in a single season – and he celebrated his victory by unzipping his leathers and holding his red suit up on the podium like a matador.

Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez finished a distant third, and brother Marc, with a 182-point lead, can clinch his seventh title at the Japanese Grand Prix this month.

“Today I gave everything I had. It’s true that the mistake from yesterday gave me extra concentration, extra power, extra energy,” an exhausted Marc Marquez said.

“I was just there following him [Bezzecchi], trying to push him always super close, because it’s impossible to do 27 laps without any mistake. And in the end, he did a small mistake on turn eight, and then I led the race.

“Super important for Ducati; I felt the pressure this weekend.”

Six more rounds remain, but Marc Marquez can now win his first title since 2019 if he outscores brother Alex by just three points in Japan.

Superb launch

At the start, Marc had a superb launch off the line and he veered to the outside to quickly move up to second behind polesitter Bezzecchi while Alex was pushed down to third.

As the top three streaked away, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo found it difficult to maintain that pace, and he was soon battling with KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who eventually found his way past the former champion to chase the leading pack.

But Acosta’s hopes of fighting for the podium went up in smoke when he retired with a broken chain, with the young Spaniard furiously wagging his finger at the bike after he stopped on the side of the track.

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia had another race to forget in a nightmare season for the twice champion, who crashed out of seventh place, his third place in the championship now seriously under threat from Bezzecchi.

Up front, Marc continued piling the pressure on Bezzecchi, and the Aprilia rider finally buckled on lap 12 when he was a breath late on the brakes and went wide, opening the door for the red Ducati to ease past him and into the lead.

Unrelenting Bezzecchi

Bezzecchi gave chase, unrelenting and eager to reclaim the lead. But Marc remained calm and the Spaniard was in no mood to crash out of the lead twice in one weekend.

Bezzecchi shook his head in frustration with six laps left as Marc set the fastest lap of the race.

Marc tried his best to shake off the younger Italian, who found an extraordinary late race pace to challenge for the lead. But the Ducati rider responded once again as they traded fastest laps and left third-placed Alex more than six seconds behind.

“Besides [missing out on] the victory, this is maybe the best race of my life, because I was super competitive all weekend – pole position, sprint win, second place,” Bezzecchi said.

“I was close to Marc, who is at the moment the strongest on the grid. I’m very happy, I gave my all, I’m destroyed!”

VR46 Racing riders Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio finished fourth and fifth, respectively, while Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer was sixth.

Follow our live build-up ahead of our full text commentary stream of the unification fight between Alvarez and Crawford.

England’s Alice Hewson retained her Swiss Open title with a convincing five-shot victory at Golfpark Holzhausern.

The 28-year-old led by two strokes heading into the third and final round, where she carded a four-under 67 to seal her third Ladies European Tour title, finishing 13 under overall.

Ireland’s Lauren Walsh, Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini and Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjall finished in a tie for second on eight under.

“It’s an absolute dream come true,” Hewson told LET.com.

Terrence Crawford is jumping two weights to fight Canelo Alvarez to unify the super middleweight belts on Saturday.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez stands in the way of Terence Crawford’s bid for boxing history on Saturday when they clash in Las Vegas for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight world title.

Crawford, a four-division champion, is jumping up two weight divisions for the bout in a bid to become the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in three different categories.

Unbeaten with a record of 41-0 with 31 knockouts, Crawford previously claimed all four belts on offer at super lightweight and welterweight.

But the 37-year-old American will step into the ring at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, an underdog against Mexican great Alvarez.

Alvarez, who owns a record of 63-2-2 with 39 knockouts, is also a four-division champ and the only fighter to claim a four-belt undisputed title at super middleweight – first in 2021 and again in May when he beat IBF champion William Scull by a unanimous points decision in Riyadh.

Although Crawford is actually a hair taller than Alvarez with a longer reach, the Mexican superstar’s weight advantage is expected by many to be decisive, even though Crawford has visibly bulked up for the encounter.

The bout is being promoted by Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season, which inked Alvarez to a four-fight deal that made him the latest in a growing list of boxers to flock to the kingdom for mega-paydays.

Riyadh Season has teamed with UFC mastermind Dana White to promote the fight that will be streamed globally by Netflix.

“This fight for me is one of the biggest fights in my career,” Alvarez said at a Thursday night news conference attended by thousands of fans at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

After nearly four years without a knockout win, Alvarez said he is looking for a decisive victory.

“I’ll give it everything I have, and if the knockout comes, good,” he said. “If not, I’m going to show why I’m the best.”

Questions abound as to whether even a muscled-up Crawford will be able to hurt Alvarez.

The Mexican champion has looked a step slower in recent fights, but his counter-punching prowess could be dangerous if Crawford feels compelled to press the action.

Crawford said he wasn’t concerned.

“I’m feeling great,” he said. “I’m ready to go. Shock the world.”

Crawford has embraced his underdog status, making a point of calling out his critics throughout the build-up to the fight.

“I think people are underestimating everything about me,” he said. “From what everybody says, I haven’t fought anybody.

“It’s been a long time coming, it’s been long overdue,” added Crawford of the spotlight on him this week.

“And come Saturday, I’m going to show the world what they’ve been missing out on.”

Crawford is also ready for a pro-Alvarez crowd in Las Vegas the weekend before the Mexican Independence Day holiday on Tuesday.

One thing Crawford did not appear concerned about was the suggestion that popped up on social media this week that he is battling a shoulder injury.

He mocked the rumours when speaking to reporters.

“My shoulder is messed up, everyone,” he said in response to a question about the rumours. “But don’t tell Canelo.”

SEB COE believes Keely Hodgkinson can be Britain’s greatest-ever athlete.

Hodgkinson is now in Japan for the World Athletics Championships — a year after she won Olympic 800 metres gold.

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Twice she has missed out on the world title over two laps.

But 23-year-old Hodgkinson remains determined to add the crown to her Olympic and European successes.

Given that the Leigh athlete also wants to break the 42-year-old world record in her event, then the sky really is the limit for the next decade.

Asked if she could become the greatest track-and-field star Britain has ever produced, World Athletics chief Lord Coe said: “Yeah, she absolutely could.

“I have no doubt about that. Absolutely, for sure. She could end up at the top of the heap internationally if she goes on.

“Touch wood, she’s got many athletics seasons ahead of her. And she’s also got good coaches in Jenny Meadows and Trevor Painter.

“Those guys know what they’re doing. It’s a really good example of British coaching at its best.

“I have spoken to her enough times to know that, mentally, she’s mahogany hard. She really is.

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“She wants to end her athletics career at the top of the heap — and there’s no reason why she shouldn’t.”

Hodgkinson opened her season on August 16 having not competed for 376 days following two hamstring injuries.

And her time of 1min 54.74sec in Poland  — the best in the world so far this year — was described by Coe as “unbelievable”.

In her next appearance, four days later in the driving rain of Lausanne, Switzerland, she posted a winning mark of 1:55.69.

British middle-distance legend Coe, 68, a double 1500m Olympic champion himself, admitted: “You just have to marvel at how she has come back.

“To be out injured and then basically you first set foot on the track and you’re running 1:54… 

“We’ve been saying for a long time, she is the real deal. What was clever was doing two races back to back.

“She was clearly testing out a thesis: did she have enough in the tank to go back-to-back? That is what she’s going to be asked to do in Tokyo.

“The answer was a resounding ‘Yes’. She’s in good nick.”

The nine-day World  Championships begin on Saturday and are being staged in the same national stadium which hosted the Covid-hit Olympics four years ago.

However, Coe insists there are contingency plans in place in case the event is impacted by typhoons in the Far East.

Severe weather saw three matches cancelled during the Rugby World Cup in Japan six years ago.

The British boss added: “Let’s hope there isn’t one!

“We do have full meteorological prediction and predictive teams out there at the moment.”

While some flag football teams have been playing for weeks, one of the City Section’s expected top teams, Birmingham, finally debuts on Wednesday at Arleta.

Coach Jim Rose has only two seniors on his team and has been working to get his players familiar with new rules, from punting to the defense getting to be only one yard away from the line of scrimmage before hiking the ball.

Bella Gonzalez, a second baseman on the softball team, will handle quarterbacking duties early while waiting for the No. 1 quarterback to recover from a knee injury.

Rose is particularly excited about freshman Ellie St. Hubert, a safety and receiver. “She is really good,” Rose said.

Banning is the defending City Open Division champion. Birmingham won the first title in 2023.

“We always think we’re going to be one of the top teams,” Rose said. “Athletically we’re better than last season.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

PADDY DONOVAN will be hoping to right some wrongs when he takes on Lewis Crocker once again for the IBF welterweight title.

Donovan, 26 thought his title dreams had come true when he delivered a big right hand to knock Crocker down during their first encounter.

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But to the dismay of the Irishman, he would quickly learn he had been disqualified by referee Marcus McDonnell, who deemed his punch to be AFTER the bell in the eighth round.

Speaking after the fight, Donovan said: “It’s not easy to get the fight out of your head. It’s not really the fight, it’s the aftermath … Coming out of the ring, the emotions setting in and seeing different reactions from the crowd.

“This part of my journey doesn’t really happen to many fighters. You either win fair or you lose fair.

You either win, get knocked out or knock out somebody and you just move on. It was like I won the fight but didn’t get the result. That’s the way I felt deep down.”

Six months later, Paddy will get a second shot at Crcocker and SunSport can let fans know exactly how to watch it.

How can I watch Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan 2?

• Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan will be exclusively broadcast LIVE on DAZN.
• The whole fight card will stream live on DAZN in over 200 countries across the globe via a DAZN subscription.
• If you are not currently a DAZN member, then monthly and annual subscription options are available to watch over 185 fights a year across boxing, bare knuckle boxing, MMA and kickboxing.
• An Annual Super Saver subscription is a one-off payment of £119.99 / $224.99 for 12-months access (£14.99 / $19.99 per month if paying in monthly instalments).
• A Monthly Flexible pass, which can be cancelled at any time, is £24.99 / $29.99 per month.
• If you are not a DAZN subscriber, you can also redeem a 7-day free trial and just pay for the PPV as a one-off, and once the trial is over, you will move onto a Monthly Flex subscription, should you not cancel.
• Alternatively, SunSport’s live blog will bring you round-by-round updates from the huge card.
• Crocker vs Donovan 2 will take place on Saturday, September 13.

Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan 2 – All the info

WINDSOR PARK will host one of the biggest boxing nights in Irish history as rivals Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan meet again THIS WEEKEND.

Almost 20,000 people are set to pack into the stadium to watch the highly-anticipated rematch between Belfast’s own Crocker and Limerick’s Donovan.

Their first fight ended in massive drama as Donovan was disqualified for punching Crocker after the bell after round eight.

He had already been docked points in rounds six and eight for illegal use of his elbow and head.

With tensions boiling over – and a world title also now on the line – we could be in line for one of the best fights of the year.

Here’s everything you need to know…

Watch Crocker vs Donovan 2 live on DAZN

INFO

LATEST NEWS

Who else is on the card?

There will be another huge title fight on the card to accompany the main event.

• Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan 2 (IBF welterweight world title)
• Ishmael Davis vs Caoimhin Agyarko (Super-welterweight bout)
• Tyrone McKenna vs Dylan Moran (Welterweight bout)
• Molly McCann vs Kate Radomska (Bantamweight bout)
• Pat Brown vs Austine Bbandi (Cruiserweight bout)
• Matthew Boreland vs Ruadhan Farrell (Irish super-bantamweight title)

What has been said?

Crocker feels as if he has been written off despite winning the first fight.

The heavy-hitter told DAZN news: “It does change. The last fight was seen as a 50-50 fight. I feel like everyone has written me off for this fight.

“I’ve got to be better from the last time around. I’m feeling very confident going into this fight. Fight week is always busy, and I’ve always got stuff to do. I’m used to it now.

“But the main part is on September 13th. It will be exceptional on the pitch, with the crowd. It is going to be such a huge occasion for everyone and for the city of Belfast.”

World number one Luke Humphries defended his Czech Open title as he beat Josh Rock 8-5 in the final.

Rock, who had beaten Michael van Gerwen en route to the final, got an early break of throw to go 2-0 up but England’s Humphries broke back and then reeled off a 12-dart leg to level at 3-3.

The pair then traded legs to reach 5-5 before Humphries won the next three legs on the spin against the Northern Irishman.

Humphries sealed victory with a clinical final leg at the PVA Expo in Prague to retain the title he won a year ago and claim the £30,000 top prize.

The 30-year-old’s three-dart average of 93.89 was marginally less than Rock’s 94.1 but his checkout percentage (34.8% versus 26.3%) was superior.

Humphries has now won the tournament three times in four years following his victories in 2022 and 2024 as he earned the eighth PDC European Tour title of his career.

“If it were up to me, I’d have all 14 European Tours held here. You don’t win three times in the same place by accident and it’s clearly special to me,” Humphries said.

“Since winning the Premier League, the past three months have been tough. I’ve struggled at times, and I felt like I dragged Josh down at the start of the game. But I never give in – I always try to find a way.”

World champion Luke Littler was earlier knocked out in the third round, suffering a surprise 6-4 defeat by Dutchman Gian van Veen.

Carlos Alcaraz claimed the latest chapter of his compelling rivalry against Jannik Sinner with a four-set victory to regain the US Open title.

Spain’s Alcaraz started strongly, weathered a second-set fightback from Italy’s Sinner, before powering to a 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory in New York.

The men’s final was delayed by half an hour because of extra security measures put in place due to US President Donald Trump’s presence.

Once under way, the pair produced another engaging contest – albeit short of the drama and quality of their French Open and Wimbledon finals earlier this year.

Reigning French Open champion Alcaraz’s superior serving – an area which let him down against Sinner at the All England Club – ensured he reclaimed the US Open title that he first won in 2022.

The 22-year-old has now won six Grand Slam titles – making him the second youngest man behind Bjorn Borg to reach this tally.

Alcaraz’s victory ensures an even split between him and Sinner – who won the Australian Open as well as Wimbledon – at the four majors in 2025.

Alcaraz has also wrestled the world number one ranking away from Sinner, who held the position for 65 weeks.

After Sinner saved two championship points, Alcaraz reset to take his third opportunity with an ace out wide – celebrating with a now trademark golf swing.