AET Castleford Tigers 23-22 St Helens
Leeds Rhinos 18-16 Hull FC
Million Pound Game
Leeds Rhinos 18-16 Hull FC
Leigh 10-26 Catalan (Catalan remain in Super League)
Saturday, 30 September 2017
Super League semi finals
Semi finals [winners progress to Grand Final]
Leigh 10-26 Catalan (Catalan remain in Super League)
Leigh 10-26 Catalan (Catalan remain in Super League)
Sunday, 24 September 2017
Aviva Premiership
Friday
Gloucester 24-19 Worcester Warriors
Bath 32-33 Newcastle Falcons
Exeter Chiefs 31-17 Wasps
London Irish 25-40 Northampton Saints
Gloucester 24-19 Worcester Warriors
Saturday
Harlequins 28-31 Leicester Tigers
Saracens 41-13 Sale Sharks
Sunday
London Irish 25-40 Northampton Saints
Super League 2nd phase of season Round 7 of 7
Super League - Winners stage
Super League - Winners stage
Relegation
Relegation
Thursday
Salford Red Devils 4-30 St Helens
Friday
Super League - Winners stage
Castleford Tigers 16-48 Hull FC
Huddersfield 12-36 Leeds Rhinos
Huddersfield 12-36 Leeds Rhinos
Relegation
London Broncos 4-41 Leigh Centurions
Saturday
Super League - Winners stage
Wakefield Trinity 32-0 Wigan Warriors
Relegation
Relegation
Warrington Wolves 46-24 Hull KR
Catalans Dragons 10-12 Widnes Vikings
Catalans Dragons 10-12 Widnes Vikings
Sunday
Halifax 20-26 Featherstone Rovers
Sunday, 17 September 2017
Aviva Premiership
Friday
Northampton Saints 24-6 Bath
Worcester Warriors 10-41 Exeter Chiefs
Sale Sharks 36-7 London Irish
Leicester Tigers 24-10 Gloucester
Newcastle Falcons 7-29 Saracens [being played @ Talen Energy Stadium, Philadelphia]
Wasps 21-24 Harlequins
Northampton Saints 24-6 Bath
Worcester Warriors 10-41 Exeter Chiefs
Sale Sharks 36-7 London Irish
Saturday
Newcastle Falcons 7-29 Saracens [being played @ Talen Energy Stadium, Philadelphia]
Sunday
Super League 2nd phase of season Round 6 of 7
Super League - Winners stage
Thursday
Hull FC 19-18 Wakefield Trinity
Friday
Leeds Rhinos 44-2 Salford Red Devils
St Helens 40-16 Huddersfield
Super League - Relegation
Hull KR 19-20 Catalans Dragons
Leigh Centurions 40-6 Halifax
Saturday
Widnes Vikings 38-16 London Broncos
Super League - Winners stage
Super League - Relegation
Thursday
Hull FC 19-18 Wakefield Trinity
Friday
Leeds Rhinos 44-2 Salford Red Devils
St Helens 40-16 Huddersfield
Super League - Relegation
Hull KR 19-20 Catalans Dragons
Leigh Centurions 40-6 Halifax
Saturday
Widnes Vikings 38-16 London Broncos
Sunday
Super League - Winners stage
Wigan Warriors 20-38 Castleford Tigers
Super League - Relegation
Featherstone Rovers 0-68 Warrington Wolves
Monday, 11 September 2017
US Open men's final - Nadal v Anderson
Nadal beats Anderson 6-3 6-3 6-4 for his 3rd US Open title
When Rafael Nadal said early in this tournament he was not looking forward to his next birthday, it was tempting to assume the finishing line in his career might be nearer than he cared to contemplate. In the final of the 2017 US Open on Sunday, the Peter Pan of tennis laughed at time in more ways than one, playing with the bouncing zest of his youth to breeze past Kevin Anderson in two hours and 27 minutes for his third title here and the 16th slam of his long career.
It was his fourth New York final and his fifth win over Anderson, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, the sort of shut-out mastery Roger Federer has imposed on other players over the years, and which the Swiss confirmed here before losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the quarters. That defeat cost New York fans a Nadal-Federer semi-final. At least bits of the old empire remained in place, despite recent upheavals.
The big four of Nadal, Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic had won 45 of the previous 50 slams between them, with only Stan Wawrinka, Del Potro and Marin Cilic intruding on their dominance. But Anderson could not be denied his chance. He out-hit Sam Querrey in the semis and was determined to make the most of his big day – except the world No1, 18 days younger than him, was not about to co-operate.
Anderson’s big serve pinned Nadal deep, close to 10 metres behind the baseline at times, but he was palpably comfortable there. And, almost from the first exchange, the deadening pattern of struggle on one side of the net and urgency on the other began to emerge.
When Anderson tried to serve and volley for just the 20th time in the tournament, Nadal passed him for break point, and it took a third ace, swinging wide, to help him stave off three break points in the third game, which lasted 12 minutes. Nadal held to love in a twinkling.
A third double fault got Anderson into more trouble in the fifth game, but again the amiable trier his friends call “The Dog” clung on like a terrier. In the first half hour, he had not had a look at Nadal’s serve and had to save four break points. It was desperate stuff.
Twice in the seventh game, the spare ball popped out of Anderson’s pocket and he acknowledged the chair umpire’s warning that a third transgression would cost him the point. It was the sort of distraction that can disrupt a player’s focus, and a fourth double fault handed Nadal a fifth break opportunity, and this time Anderson cracked, pushing a forehand wide.
Within 10 minutes, the first set was Nadal’s. Anderson’s challenge in the biggest match of his life was to stop a steady drip turning into a full-scale leak. They had known each other since they were 12 – not unlike Murray and Djokovic, although the rivalry was way less competitive. Murray has won two of his three slams against the Serb; Anderson has won just one set of 12 in five matches against Nadal.
While Nadal now was rushing through the points, Anderson tried to slow the narrative, like a condemned man asking for a final piece of pie. Behind in the serving cycle, the pressure mounted. When Nadal broke to go 4-2 up, there was a chilling inevitability about the rest of the match. The crowd had fallen into near slumber. Nadal was winning not only the points he fashioned himself, but those he was not expected to get, scampering after every half-chance and putting most of them away imperiously.
Anderson kept fighting but Nadal is a ruthless front-runner. He had only lost twice in his career from two sets up – to Fabio Fognini here and in Miami against Federer in the distant past – and history did not lie to him on Sunday.
Anderson’s big serve kept him vaguely competitive, but there was little he could do about the whipped forehand that gave Nadal the ninth game to love – his fourth to that point – and the set.
Anderson’s resistance slowly morphed from heart-felt to token. The first set had taken nearly an hour, the second 39 minutes, the third, despite Anderson’s first love hold to trail 3-2, a 10th ace to hold in the ninth game to make Nadal serve it out in the 10th game, and a brave battle to his first deuce point on Nadal’s serve at the very end, lasted 50 minutes. Nadal won it with his 16th volley.
While the other lions are sleeping – Murray probably for the rest of the year, Federer working on his troubled back, Djokovic and Wawrinka already out until the start of next season – Nadal, fit and strong again with his game in superb shape, will make a push that could further disturb the upper order of the game.
The next leg of the journey is the 2018 Australian Open, where he lost to Federer in the final this year. If the Swiss does not repeat his extraordinary heroics there and Nadal prevails, he will be sitting on 17 majors, just two behind Federer. If he wins his 11th French Open in May, as he will be favoured to do, the gap will be a single title. They will then arrive at Wimbledon with even more to play for. Peter Pan, incidentally, will be 32 by then.
When Rafael Nadal said early in this tournament he was not looking forward to his next birthday, it was tempting to assume the finishing line in his career might be nearer than he cared to contemplate. In the final of the 2017 US Open on Sunday, the Peter Pan of tennis laughed at time in more ways than one, playing with the bouncing zest of his youth to breeze past Kevin Anderson in two hours and 27 minutes for his third title here and the 16th slam of his long career.
It was his fourth New York final and his fifth win over Anderson, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, the sort of shut-out mastery Roger Federer has imposed on other players over the years, and which the Swiss confirmed here before losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the quarters. That defeat cost New York fans a Nadal-Federer semi-final. At least bits of the old empire remained in place, despite recent upheavals.
The big four of Nadal, Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic had won 45 of the previous 50 slams between them, with only Stan Wawrinka, Del Potro and Marin Cilic intruding on their dominance. But Anderson could not be denied his chance. He out-hit Sam Querrey in the semis and was determined to make the most of his big day – except the world No1, 18 days younger than him, was not about to co-operate.
Anderson’s big serve pinned Nadal deep, close to 10 metres behind the baseline at times, but he was palpably comfortable there. And, almost from the first exchange, the deadening pattern of struggle on one side of the net and urgency on the other began to emerge.
When Anderson tried to serve and volley for just the 20th time in the tournament, Nadal passed him for break point, and it took a third ace, swinging wide, to help him stave off three break points in the third game, which lasted 12 minutes. Nadal held to love in a twinkling.
A third double fault got Anderson into more trouble in the fifth game, but again the amiable trier his friends call “The Dog” clung on like a terrier. In the first half hour, he had not had a look at Nadal’s serve and had to save four break points. It was desperate stuff.
Twice in the seventh game, the spare ball popped out of Anderson’s pocket and he acknowledged the chair umpire’s warning that a third transgression would cost him the point. It was the sort of distraction that can disrupt a player’s focus, and a fourth double fault handed Nadal a fifth break opportunity, and this time Anderson cracked, pushing a forehand wide.
Within 10 minutes, the first set was Nadal’s. Anderson’s challenge in the biggest match of his life was to stop a steady drip turning into a full-scale leak. They had known each other since they were 12 – not unlike Murray and Djokovic, although the rivalry was way less competitive. Murray has won two of his three slams against the Serb; Anderson has won just one set of 12 in five matches against Nadal.
While Nadal now was rushing through the points, Anderson tried to slow the narrative, like a condemned man asking for a final piece of pie. Behind in the serving cycle, the pressure mounted. When Nadal broke to go 4-2 up, there was a chilling inevitability about the rest of the match. The crowd had fallen into near slumber. Nadal was winning not only the points he fashioned himself, but those he was not expected to get, scampering after every half-chance and putting most of them away imperiously.
Anderson kept fighting but Nadal is a ruthless front-runner. He had only lost twice in his career from two sets up – to Fabio Fognini here and in Miami against Federer in the distant past – and history did not lie to him on Sunday.
Anderson’s big serve kept him vaguely competitive, but there was little he could do about the whipped forehand that gave Nadal the ninth game to love – his fourth to that point – and the set.
Anderson’s resistance slowly morphed from heart-felt to token. The first set had taken nearly an hour, the second 39 minutes, the third, despite Anderson’s first love hold to trail 3-2, a 10th ace to hold in the ninth game to make Nadal serve it out in the 10th game, and a brave battle to his first deuce point on Nadal’s serve at the very end, lasted 50 minutes. Nadal won it with his 16th volley.
While the other lions are sleeping – Murray probably for the rest of the year, Federer working on his troubled back, Djokovic and Wawrinka already out until the start of next season – Nadal, fit and strong again with his game in superb shape, will make a push that could further disturb the upper order of the game.
The next leg of the journey is the 2018 Australian Open, where he lost to Federer in the final this year. If the Swiss does not repeat his extraordinary heroics there and Nadal prevails, he will be sitting on 17 majors, just two behind Federer. If he wins his 11th French Open in May, as he will be favoured to do, the gap will be a single title. They will then arrive at Wimbledon with even more to play for. Peter Pan, incidentally, will be 32 by then.
Sunday, 10 September 2017
Aviva Prem & Super League 2nd phase of season Round 5 of 7
ENGLAND: Super League - Winners stage
Friday
Saturday
Salford Red Devils 52-14 Huddersfield
Super League - Relegation
Thursday
Wakefield Trinity 16-18 St Helens
Friday
Castleford Tigers 38-24 Leeds Rhinos
Hull FC 22-30 Wigan Warriors
Hull FC 22-30 Wigan Warriors
Saturday
Salford Red Devils 52-14 Huddersfield
Super League - Relegation
Warrington Wolves 32-30 Leigh Centurions
Hull KR 12-6 Widnes Vikings
Catalans Dragons 26-12 Featherstone Rovers
Hull KR 12-6 Widnes Vikings
Catalans Dragons 26-12 Featherstone Rovers
Sunday
London Broncos 36-14 Halifax
Saturday, 9 September 2017
Jamie Murray and Martina Hingis win US Open mixed doubles title
Jamie Murray almost retired a few years ago, frustrated by the usual blights of his sport: injury, ordinary results and the grind of playing in front of a handful of spectators on the doubles circuit, while his younger brother, Andy, was creating back-page headlines.
But, in Andy’s absence, it was the elder Murray who made more tennis history here on Saturday, in front of a decent-sized crowd on the US Open’s main court, Arthur Ashe, when he combined with 36-year-old Martina Hingis to win their second mixed doubles slam of the season by beating Taipei’s Chan Hao-ching and the New Zealander Michael Venus 6-1, 4-6 (10-8) in 69 breezy minutes.
Murray said courtside: “She’s an amazing player, had such a great career. We’ve had a lot of fun, and three times have won 10-8. Hopefully we’ll play more.”
Hingis, on the 20th anniversary of beating Venus Williams here in the singles final, said: “My love for the game is my motivation. He’s a great partner to have, carrying me a lot of the time with his wing span.”
They are unbeaten in 10 matches since they got together at Wimbledon and there is no reason to think the partnership will not endure alongside Murray’s combination with Bruno Soares in the men’s doubles. In all, he has two slam titles with the Brazilian, two with Hingis and one, his first in 2007, with Jelena Jankovic.
On a mild Saturday afternoon at Flushing Meadows, all went like a Swiss clock in the first set as Hingis and Murray obliterated the limp, nervous challenge of Chan and Venus in 22 minutes for the loss of 13 points. It was too easy. The crowd grew restless.
However, Chan and Venus put up stiffer resistance in the second set, forcing the championship tie-break, where Murray regained his touch at the net and hit the spots with a couple of crucial serves. He finished the job with an exuberant crosscourt smash.
But, in Andy’s absence, it was the elder Murray who made more tennis history here on Saturday, in front of a decent-sized crowd on the US Open’s main court, Arthur Ashe, when he combined with 36-year-old Martina Hingis to win their second mixed doubles slam of the season by beating Taipei’s Chan Hao-ching and the New Zealander Michael Venus 6-1, 4-6 (10-8) in 69 breezy minutes.
Murray said courtside: “She’s an amazing player, had such a great career. We’ve had a lot of fun, and three times have won 10-8. Hopefully we’ll play more.”
Hingis, on the 20th anniversary of beating Venus Williams here in the singles final, said: “My love for the game is my motivation. He’s a great partner to have, carrying me a lot of the time with his wing span.”
They are unbeaten in 10 matches since they got together at Wimbledon and there is no reason to think the partnership will not endure alongside Murray’s combination with Bruno Soares in the men’s doubles. In all, he has two slam titles with the Brazilian, two with Hingis and one, his first in 2007, with Jelena Jankovic.
On a mild Saturday afternoon at Flushing Meadows, all went like a Swiss clock in the first set as Hingis and Murray obliterated the limp, nervous challenge of Chan and Venus in 22 minutes for the loss of 13 points. It was too easy. The crowd grew restless.
However, Chan and Venus put up stiffer resistance in the second set, forcing the championship tie-break, where Murray regained his touch at the net and hit the spots with a couple of crucial serves. He finished the job with an exuberant crosscourt smash.
Thursday, 7 September 2017
US Open Day 11 summary
Madison Keys beats Coco Vandeweghe 6-1 6-2 to reach final
Keys will face Sloane Stephens in all-American final
Both players through to first Grand Slam final
Stephens beats Venus Williams 6-1 0-6 7-5 in first semi-final
Keys will face Sloane Stephens in all-American final
Both players through to first Grand Slam final
Stephens beats Venus Williams 6-1 0-6 7-5 in first semi-final
US Open Day 10 summary
Nadal beats Rublev 6-1 6-2 6-2 under roof on Arthur Ashe
Will face Federer or Del Potro in semi-finals
Federer lost to Del Potro
Vandeweghe beats Pliskova 7-6 6-3 to make semis
Defeat will end Pliskova's reign as world number one - Muguruza takes over next week
Will face Federer or Del Potro in semi-finals
Federer lost to Del Potro
Vandeweghe beats Pliskova 7-6 6-3 to make semis
Defeat will end Pliskova's reign as world number one - Muguruza takes over next week
Wednesday, 6 September 2017
US Open Day 9 summary
Stephens 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-4) Sevastova
Quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows, New York
Venus Williams bt Petra Kvitova
Carreno Busta beats Schwartzman 6-4 6-4 6-2 to make men's semisQuarter-finals at Flushing Meadows, New York
Tuesday, 5 September 2017
US Open Day 8 summary
Karolina Pliskova beats Jennifer Brady 6-1 6-0 in 46 minutes
Rafael Nadal beats Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-2 6-4 6-1 to reach last eight
Teenager Andrey Rublev knocks out Goffin - plays Nadal next
Coco Vandeweghe beats Lucie Safarova 6-4, 7-6 - plays Pliskova next
Roger Federer bt Philip Kohlschreiber
Rafael Nadal beats Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-2 6-4 6-1 to reach last eight
Teenager Andrey Rublev knocks out Goffin - plays Nadal next
Coco Vandeweghe beats Lucie Safarova 6-4, 7-6 - plays Pliskova next
Roger Federer bt Philip Kohlschreiber
Monday, 4 September 2017
US Open Day 7 summary
Carreno Busta beats Shapovalov 7-6, 7-6, 7-6
Sloane Stephens is through to the quarter-finals, where she will face either Sevastova or Sharapova. She beat Julia Goerges 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
Anastasija Sevastova beats Maria Sharapova 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
Carla Suarez Navarro lost to Venus Williams.
Sloane Stephens is through to the quarter-finals, where she will face either Sevastova or Sharapova. She beat Julia Goerges 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
Anastasija Sevastova beats Maria Sharapova 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
Carla Suarez Navarro lost to Venus Williams.
Sunday, 3 September 2017
Aviva Premiership opening weekend
Friday
Saracens 55-24 Northampton
Wasps 50-35 Sale
London Irish 39-29 Harlequins
Leicester Tigers 23-27 Bath
Gloucester 28 Exeter Chiefs 21
Newcastle Falcons 35 Worcester Warriors 8
Newcastle Falcons 35 Worcester Warriors 8
Saturday
Wasps 50-35 Sale
London Irish 39-29 Harlequins
Sunday
Leicester Tigers 23-27 Bath
Super League 2nd phase of season Round 4 of 7
Super League - Winners stage
Thurs
Leeds Rhinos 38-26 Hull FC
Friday
Huddersfield 16-24 Castleford Tigers
Salford Red Devils 18-43 Wakefield Trinity
St Helens 16-26 Wigan Warriors
Super League - Relegation
Saturday
Featherstone Rovers 18-30 Hull KR
Halifax 0-24 Catalans Dragons
Leigh Centurions 8-24 Widnes Vikings
Thurs
Leeds Rhinos 38-26 Hull FC
Friday
Huddersfield 16-24 Castleford Tigers
Salford Red Devils 18-43 Wakefield Trinity
St Helens 16-26 Wigan Warriors
Saturday
London Broncos 38-40 Warrington Wolves
Sunday
Halifax 0-24 Catalans Dragons
Leigh Centurions 8-24 Widnes Vikings
US Open Day 6 summary
Rafael Nadal bt Leonardo Mayer third round
Roger Federer bt Feliciano Lopez from midnight
Roger Federer bt Feliciano Lopez from midnight
Saturday, 2 September 2017
US Open Day 5 summary
Venus Williams beats Maria Sakkari 6-3 6-4
Kyle Edmund retires with neck injury while trailing 3-6 6-3 6-3 1-0 to Denis Shapovalov
Elsewhere in the men's draw, fifth seed Marin Cilic is out after losing to Diego Schwarzman. That means John Isner is the only top-15 player left in the bottom half of the draw.
In the women's draw Garbine Muguruza and Petra Kvitova join Venus Williams in the fourth round.
Night session
Maria Sharapova bt Sofia Kenin
John Isner out and Sam Querrey through
Kyle Edmund retires with neck injury while trailing 3-6 6-3 6-3 1-0 to Denis Shapovalov
Elsewhere in the men's draw, fifth seed Marin Cilic is out after losing to Diego Schwarzman. That means John Isner is the only top-15 player left in the bottom half of the draw.
In the women's draw Garbine Muguruza and Petra Kvitova join Venus Williams in the fourth round.
Night session
Maria Sharapova bt Sofia Kenin
John Isner out and Sam Querrey through
Friday, 1 September 2017
US Open Day 4 summary
Federer bt Youzhny 6-1, 6-7, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
Rogers and Gavrilova play longest women's match in US Open history
World number one Pliskova beats Gibbs 2-6 6-3 6-4
Seeds Dimitrov and Berdych knocked out, Del Potro through
Nadal wins too
Rogers and Gavrilova play longest women's match in US Open history
World number one Pliskova beats Gibbs 2-6 6-3 6-4
Seeds Dimitrov and Berdych knocked out, Del Potro through
Nadal wins too
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