Tag: title

2024 NBA free agency: After landing Paul George, Sixers’ surge to second overall in 2025 title odds nba,free,agency,after,landing,paul,george,sixers,surge,to,second,overall,in,title,odds,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,draftkings,76ers-analysis,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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In the wee hours of the night here on the East Coast, the Philadelphia 76ers were making it rain. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped the bombshell scoop that Paul George is signing a four-year $212M deal, with a player option for the 2027-2028 season, with the Philadelphia 76ers. Not long after that we learned that All-Star Tyrese Maxey was receiving a max extension and the team was also retaining last season’s stellar minimum level acquisition wing Kelly Oubre, Jr. on a new team-friendly deal. Big Penguin Andre Drummond is back on board, and Morey lands another one of his favorite former Rockets in Eric Gordon too.

Having utilized cap space for the nine-time All-Star George, Philadelphia still has the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, sniper Jared McCain, the No. 41 overall pick, Adem Bona, an absolute freak athlete which he proved at the NBA pre-draft combine, plus the 76ers still possess four more future first-round picks to work with, and swaps.

We owe so much of it to our beloved Tyrese:

Tobias Harris is finally gone, landing big money to play for the Detroit Pistons (addition by subtraction?)

And they’ll look to round out the rest of the roster with a bit of remaining cap space before exceeding the cap by fleshing out the rest of the roster with veteran’s minimum deals for ring-chasing stars who can expect a fair amount of playing time — on such a now top-heavy roster.

Per Woj:

“George and his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, met in Los Angeles with a 76ers contingent that included owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand and Sixers legend Julius Erving, sources said. The Sixers even brought a front office executive, Peter Dinwiddie, who is a familiar face and friend of George’s from their years together with the Indiana Pacers, sources said.

The meeting came on the heels of months of unsuccessful negotiations between George and the LA Clippers on a deal to stay in his Southern California home.”

Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and the gangs’ odds on Draft Kings were around +1000 back when we thought there was a chance they might sign George.

Then their odds dropped precipitously to +1400 when Shams Charania reported the Sixers’ interest in the six-time All-NBA teamer had “significantly waned.”

It also didn’t help the Sixers’ cause when the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges, and were soon able to retain OG Anunoby.

But by the time many of us woke up Monday morning, odds makers’ opinions of the current NBA hierarchy had shifted dramatically. Daryl Morey’s group has now peaked at +800, pushing the Knicks’ down from +800 to +950, following their loss of Isaiah Hartenstein.

The Boston Celtics have re-signed Derrick White, and even though Kristaps Porzingis is set to miss significant time as he rehabs from surgery, the reigning champs are still given a massive edge, +295.

The Celtics’ implied odds to win the 2024-2025 title are now around 25 percent. Philadelphia’s are near 11 percent. As many of you might remember, Morey said that if you have about a five percent chance it makes sense to cash in your future picks to go for it. Well, if that’s still the case, possessing an implied 11 percent should certainly entice him to keep looking to add firepower.

We’ll see how this plays out because it’s gotta be relatively unprecedented for a team that basically only has a handful of players (e.g. Embiid, Maxey, George, Drummond, Gordon, Oubre, Jr. McCain, Bona) in tow to be favored so heavily. So we’ll pay close attention to what happens with the final few roster spots. One name to watch could be veteran guard Reggie Bullock (pronounced Bull-LOCK which likely helps him lock up opposing guards).

The former Knick and Maverick is meeting with the Sixers and head coach Nick Nurse should be able to sell some helpful connective vets by offering a key role on a now true title contender.

Anciano nips Rada for premier girls title; Padilla scores

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Rafa Anciano nipped close friend Chloe Rada in the second hole of an exciting playoff for the girls’ premier age category of the Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) Luzon Series 3 at Pinewoods Golf and Country Club in Baguio on Thursday.

In front of the fringe on the par-4 18th, Anciano calmly chipped to within three feet and saved par to claim victory after Rada failed to save her 4 after leaving herself with a long putt off a poor blast from the greenside trap.

Rada caught Anciano with a 356 after regulation after shooting a fourth round 90. Anciano shot a 91.

In the boys’ category, Tristan Padilla dominated with an emphatic 11-shot victory. Leading Charles Serdenia by nine strokes after 54 holes, Padilla extended his lead with a frontside 36.

Despite Serdenia’s rally featuring three birdies in the first four holes on the backside, the 15-year-old Padilla, who finished second at Pradera Verde, maintained his lead, finishing with a three-under 285 total after a 68 spiked by a solid backside 32.Serdenia, aiming for a second win after the Splendido Taal leg, fired a 70. He, however, earned crucial points for the upcoming JPGT Match Play Championship in October.

Celtics land biggest punches again to move closer to title

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Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, top left, looks on as Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, bottom, is fouled by Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, center, during the first half in Game 3 of the NBA basketball finals, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

SCHEDULE: NBA Finals 2024 Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks

DALLAS — Joe Mazzulla is a big fan of UFC matches and splices highlights of fights into some of the basketball video he shows the Boston Celtics.

He doesn’t do it for entertainment purposes or to make players laugh. He does it for a simple reason. He wants the Celtics to have a fighters’ mentality.

“If you’ve ever been in a fight with someone and you think you’re about to beat ’em, you usually get sucker-punched,” said Mazzulla, the second-year Celtics coach. “The closer you are to beating them up, the closer you are to losing.”

Translation: He wanted the Celtics ready for a fight. And in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, they were.

A pair of big runs — 23-8 in the first half, 20-5 in the second half — represented what became the knockout blows in this game, and maybe this series. Boston frittered away almost all of what was a 21-point lead before winning 106-99 to take a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals, moving one win away from what would be their record-setting 18th championship.

READ: Celtics hold off Mavericks for commanding 3-0 NBA Finals lead

“Our guys have a great basketball IQ and have a great understanding of are we playing the right way, taking the right shots and giving up the right shot.” Mazzulla said. “They know exactly when we are not doing that. So, they have an innate ability to control the runs of the game with the philosophy that we have.”

As is often the case with fights, the judges — in this case, the referees — had a big decision to make and it wasn’t one that was popular. Luka Doncic fouled out with 4:12 remaining, a call that held up under review despite Dallas’ arguments that Jaylen Brown initiated the contact on that play, and the Mavs were without their best puncher in what amounted to the 12th round of this fight.

“We couldn’t play physical,” Doncic said. “I don’t know. I don’t want to say nothing. … C’mon, man.”

Doncic fouled out with the Mavericks having gotten within three; there was no miracle finish. Boston did enough to hang on, and now a championship could be in its hands as early as Friday night when the teams meet in Game 4.

And the big punch — sometimes early, sometimes not — has been a theme for Boston throughout this series. Dallas ran out to a 25-12 lead early Wednesday; that lead was basically gone by the end of the first quarter.

“We expected their first punch,” Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said.

Control of Game 1 was seized early with a 23-5 run by the Celtics. In Game 2, a 15-4 run in the second half proved to basically be the difference. In Game 3, there were the two big spurts. Mazzulla warned the Celtics that any spell where focus is lost could cost them games. Clearly, they’ve listened.

“Closer you think you’re going to submit someone, is usually when you get submitted,” Mazzulla said.

There’s no championship belt, like the ones fighters get, coming when this series is over. But the trophy is within sight now.

“We’ve got to keep fighting,” Tatum said. “We can’t relax.”

UP rallies past La Salle to complete perfect Filoil title run

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UP Fighting Maroons’ Francis Lopez during the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup. –HANDOUT

MANILA, Philippines — University of the Philippines completed a perfect championship run in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup after pulling off a come-from-behind 69-66 win over its UAAP tormentor La Salle in a winner-take-all final on Wednesday.

The Fighting Maroons needed to recover from a 23-43 deficit, unleashing a 29-6 second quarter and a 46-point explosion in the second half to complete a golden repeat in the preseason tournament.

“During the halftime, [our coaches] told us that we can’t shoot and failed to execute our defense. So entering the second half, we tried to bounce back,” said Gerry Abadiano, who restored the order for UP. 

READ: While building perfect Filoil record, UP tries to solidify its culture

Abadiano finished with 12 points to earn the Finals MVP award after leading the collective effort of the Fighting Maroons.

“For me, we can’t stop [with a preseason championship]. We have to keep on improving,” he said.

JD Cagulangan was also instrumental with 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Francis Lopez contributed an all-around game of eight points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Cagulangan and Lopez were part of the Mythical Five with Far Eastern University and Colegio de San Juan de Letran impact rookies Veejay Pre and Jonathan Manalili and La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao.

READ: Pressure is key for La Salle’s improvement, says Topex Robinson

Quiambao earned the tournament MVP with 14 points and 10 rebounds but missed two crucial three-pointers in the final seven minutes of the championship game.

CJ Austria stepped up for the Green Archers with 14 points as they settled for silver.

Meanwhile, FEU bagged the bronze medal after escaping Letran, 80-78, behind Jorick Bautista’s 21-point effort to give rookie coach Sean Chambers a podium finish in his first major tournament.

The Scores:

UP 69 — Cagulangan 13, Abadiano 12, Alarcon 9, Ududo 9, Lopez 8, Torres 7, Torculas 7, Felicilda 2, Alter 2, Stevens 0, Walker 0, Bayla 0, Briones 0, Belmonte 0, Tan 0

LA SALLE 66 — Quiambao 14, Austria 14, Ramiro 7, Agunanne 7, Gollena 7, Dungo 6, Policarpio 4, Macalalag 3, Marasigan 2, Cortez 2, Zamora 0, Buenaventura 0, Gaspay 0, Abadam 0, Rubico 0, Alian 0

QUARTERS: 17-14, 23-43, 48-53, 69-66

Alas Pilipinas girls bounce back, stay in title hunt

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Alas Pilipinas girls and Australia in the Princess Cup Southeast Asian U-18 Volleyball Championship in Thailand.–Photo from SMM Volleyball

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas girls stayed in championship contention after bouncing back with a 25-16, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19 victory over Australia in the 22nd Princess Cup Southeast Asian Under-18 Women’s Volleyball Championship on Tuesday at Nakhon Pathom Gymnasium in Thailand.

Licking the wounds of their tough first defeat to Thailand less than 24 hours ago, the national youth team regained the share of second place tied with Indonesia with 3-1 records.

The Philippines and Indonesia clash for a Final berth on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. (Manila time).

READ: Alas Pilipinas girls off to 2-0 start in Thailand tournament

The top two teams clash in a winner-take-all final on Thursday. Thailand leads the league with a 3-0 card, eyeing its fourth sin against Singapore as of posting time.

Kimberly Rubin continued to shine bright for Alas, while Lianne Penuliar and Harlyn Serneche backstopped Rubin as the Nationals recovered from a 15-25, 12-25, 11-25 loss to Thailand on Monday evening.

READ: Alas Pilipinas girls rip Singapore to open Thailand U18 tilt

The Aussies tried to orchestrate a comeback after winning the third and put up a gallant stand in the fourth but their errors allowed the Filipino Spikers to escape behind the finishing touches of Rubin, Serneche, and Avril Bron.

Alas pulled off a comeback in the second set, crawling its way back from a 19-23 deficit as Serneche scored three points in a row before Bron’s set-tying ace.

Anni Tang committed a crucial attack error followed by Denesse Daylisan’s set-clinching kill for a two-set lead.

Celtics traded for Jrue Holiday, now two wins away from NBA title

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Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday takes a shot over Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BOSTON — This moment is exactly why the Boston Celtics went out and got Jrue Holiday.

When president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and the rest of the front office sat down after last season to piece together their next steps following Boston’s NBA Eastern Conference finals loss to Miami, a question hovered over them.

How much were they willing to shake up the core of a team that had lost in the NBA Finals in 2022 and then came up a game short of returning the following season?

In the end they opted to swing big, trading longtime point guard Marcus Smart as part of the deal that netted 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis. Then, after Milwaukee traded Holiday to Portland to get Damian Lillard, the Celtics pounced, dealing former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon and big man Robert Williams III to get Holiday.

The bold moves have proven to be exactly what the Celtics needed, helping produce a 64-win regular season, a romp through the first three rounds of the playoffs and a 2-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

READ: NBA Finals: Celtics call Pritchard triple ‘play of the game’ in Game 2

For the defensive-minded Holiday, whose defense limited Kyrie Irving, combined with a 26-point,11-rebound effort helped Boston salvage its 105-98 Game 2 victory, it’s the latest example that Holiday is where he is meant to be.

“I think that this is what was supposed to happen. And I’m glad that I’m here and I’m glad that I’m in this moment,” Holiday said prior to the start of the Finals.

“(Celtics coach) Joe Mazzulla has talked about that a lot, especially this season is being in the moment, and that’s what I’ve tried to do.”

Part of what’s made Holiday so effective for the Celtics is the 33-year-old’s willingness to adapt his game to fill whatever his team has needed this season.

A No. 3 scoring option in Milwaukee behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton during the Bucks’ 2020-21 championship season, Holiday has accepted being the fourth or fifth option in Boston. His 12.5 points per game average this regular season was the lowest since his rookie season.

READ: NBA Finals: Celtics hold off Mavericks for 2-0 lead

But there have been times, such as in Game 2, when Dallas doubled up on All-Star Jayson Tatum, put more pressure on Jaylen Brown or Porzingis struggled, when Holiday had to increase his output.

He’s done it, while maintaining intensity on the defensive end this season. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive second team. It was the sixth time he was picked for the first or second team in his career.

Holiday believes it’s a byproduct of the collective unity the team has been building throughout the season.

“I think when you sacrifice together and you do something together, it brings you closer,” he said. “I think being able to go through wins and losses and to build something, it means a lot. … From (roster spots) 1 to 15, somebody’s sacrificed something.”

Part of what’s helped ease Holiday’s transition to Boston has been the familiarity he already had with Tatum, with whom he played alongside on the 2020 U.S. Olympic basketball team that captured the gold medal during the Olympics in Tokyo.

READ: NBA: Jrue Holiday signs 4-year extension with Celtics

Tatum said that relationship made periodic check-ins he had at times this season with Holiday easier.

“I would just check in or always remind him to be yourself and, we’re going to need you in big moments, obviously like (Game 2),” Tatum said.

It’s allowed Holiday to play to his strengths, most notably his ability to bring a measure of calm to the court in Mazzulla’s controlled chaos.

Holiday’s also been able to provide stability in crunch time for a team that in recent playoff runs sometimes wilted in those moments, often trying to lean on one-on-one play or committing turnovers.

And while a player such as Smart was a dominant alpha on the court, Holiday knows what it’s like to play alongside a star such as Antetokounmpo, and coax the best out of them.

Asked to imagine what position the Celtics might be in without Holiday on the roster, Tatum didn’t want to entertain the thought.

“Good thing we don’t have to find out,” he said.

No matter what happens over the remainder of the Finals, this won’t be a one season-and-done stop for Holiday, who signed a four-year extension in April.

“From here on it’s like — I’m supposed to be here,” Holiday said. “And I’m supposed to be with my teammates. And we’re supposed to do this together.”

But there’s only one way he’ll feel as if his arrival in Boston can be deemed a success.

“It’s been great and the journey’s been awesome, but at the end of the day, the job is not done,” he said.

Pacquiao set for exhibition, in talks for title bout vs Barrios

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Retired multiple world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines speaks during a press conference at a hotel in Tokyo on June 10, 2024. It was announced on June 9 that he will fight Japanese mixed martial artist Chihiro Suzuki in a three-round boxing match on July 28 in Saitama, north of Tokyo. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

Boxing great Manny Pacquiao said Monday that he is in negotiations to make a comeback but cautioned that a potential world title fight against Mario Barrios was “far away.”

The 45-year-old multiple world champion from the Philippines quit the sport in 2021 and made a failed tilt at his country’s presidency.

He has signed up to fight a three-round exhibition bout against Japanese mixed martial artist Chihiro Suzuki next month in Saitama, north of Tokyo.

READ: Manny Pacquiao ‘ready to go’ for comeback fight possibly in Saudi

Pacquiao said he was in talks to face the American Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title but said the potential fight was still “far away”.

“We’re still in negotiations and we’re talking about that. The fight has not materialised yet,” Pacquiao, who has hinted at comebacks before, said in Tokyo.

“That negotiation is ongoing. It’s going to be by December — November or December.

“There’s still a lot of things to discuss and talk about.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFSG370oyy0

Pacquiao in February admitted defeat in his bid to fight at next month’s Paris Olympics when the International Olympic Committee rejected a special request for him to take part.

The IOC has an age limit of 40 for Olympic boxers.

READ: Pacquiao accepts his Olympic dream is over

Pacquiao retired weeks after losing to Cuban Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas in his final professional fight.

He ran for the Philippines presidency but lost the May 2022 election by a huge margin.

He returned to the ring for an exhibition in Seoul in December 2022 against a South Korean YouTuber.

He will fight Suzuki on July 28 in a 68kg boxing match of three rounds at three minutes each, with no judges’ decision.

Pacquiao insisted the bout was “not an exhibition, this is a fight”.

“We are looking for a knock-out for this fight,” he said.

“There’s going to be a lot of action in the ring and of course I’ll do my best to win by knock-out.”

Carlos Alcaraz overcomes Zverev to win first French Open title

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Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning his men’s singles final match against Germany’s Alexander Zverev on Court Philippe-Chatrier on day fifteen of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris on June 9, 2024. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)

Carlos Alcaraz fought back to defeat Alexander Zverev in a five-set French Open final on Sunday and become the youngest man to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces.

The 21-year-old battled cramps to recover from 2-1 down in sets and win a gripping contest 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 after four hours and 19 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“Something that I dreamt about, being in this position, since I was started playing tennis, since I was five, six years old. So it’s a great, great feeling,” said Alcaraz.

READ: Carlos Alcaraz embraces ‘suffering’ to reach French Open final

Alcaraz adds the Roland Garros crown to the Wimbledon title he won against Novak Djokovic last year and the 2022 US Open.

He will head to the Australian Open next year with the chance to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

Fourth seed Zverev, who settled a court case in Germany two days ago over domestic abuse allegations, is still waiting for a maiden major title.

He had also lost his only previous Slam final in five sets, when he blew a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.

Zverev had high hopes of finally getting over the line — he has also lost six Slam semi-finals — but Alcaraz was too strong in the key moments as he levelled their head-to-head record at 5-5.

“It’s been amazing. The atmosphere, the support has been amazing,” said the 27-year-old.

Alcaraz said before the final he wanted to join the list of men’s players from his country, including his idol Rafael Nadal, to win the Roland Garros title, and he celebrated becoming the eighth Spanish champion by falling to the clay with his head in his hands in disbelief.

“Congratulations Carlos for this immense victory! Wonderful! Very happy for your successes! Vamos,” tweeted Nadal.

Zverev’s nervy start

Zverev endured a miserable start, double-faulting on the first two points of the match en route to being broken in the opening game.

But Alcaraz was not immune to the nerves of a maiden French Open final, framing a regulation forehand into the stands and then also double-faulting as he gifted the break straight back.

The Spaniard did not take too long to find his groove, though, breaking to love in the fifth game on his way to pocketing the opener.

READ: Zverev beats Ruud to set up French Open final with Carlos Alcaraz

The youngster had to save three break points to hold in a 10-minute first game of the second set, but slipped 3-2 behind when he failed to stave off two more break points as another forehand sailed into the crowd.

Suddenly Zverev had a spring in his step and Alcaraz was reduced to scrambling at the back of the court, falling a double-break down with a double-fault.

Zverev wrapped up an ultimately one-sided second set with a hold to love.

The German made it three successive love holds with two more early in the third set, before Alcaraz celebrated coming out of a tricky service game unscathed with a fist pump as he edged 3-2 ahead, despite having been largely on the back foot.

Serving into an increasingly strong breeze, Zverev was caught out by an Alcaraz return that crept over the net and the Spaniard went on to grab a break to love.

But he could not serve out the set as a rasping Zverev passing shot secured a break back.

That failure to take control of the match seemed to temporarily break Alcaraz’s spirit, as he ended up losing five games on the spin to concede the set.

Crucial line call saves Alcaraz

Alcaraz would not go down without a fight, though, breaking for a 2-0 advantage in the fourth with a magnificent curling winner on the run.

Just seconds before, Zverev had been angrily disputing a line call which was clearly correct, drawing jeers from the crowd.

The German was rattled and his serve started to desert him, with Alcaraz racing through the fourth set to force a decider despite having to take a medical time-out to have treatment for apparent cramp at 4-1.

Zverev had won 10 of his previous 11 five-setters at Roland Garros but handed Alcaraz a break on a platter in the third game of the fifth.

Alcaraz stuttered himself, falling 0-40 down in the next game.

He appeared to have double-faulted on the second break point, but the chair umpire overruled the line judge’s call of out, despite Zverev’s angry protests, before Hawkeye replays showed it was out.

Alcaraz went on to hold and it proved to be a pivotal moment in the match.

Zverev fell a double-break down in game seven as Alcaraz delighted the fans with an outrageous flicked winner before crushing a forehand onto the line.

He wrapped up a historic victory with a booming forehand that Zverev could not get back.

Iga Swiatek cruises to third straight French Open title

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Poland’s Iga Swiatek celebrates with the trophy after winning against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini at the end of women’s singles final match on Court Philippe-Chatrier on day fourteen of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris on June 8, 2024. (Photo by Emmanuel Dunand / AFP)

Poland’s Iga Swiatek extended her French Open reign on Saturday as she thrashed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 in the final to win a third successive Roland Garros title.

World number one Swiatek dominated Italian 12th seed Paolini, a first-time Grand Slam finalist, needing just 68 minutes to capture a fourth crown in five years in Paris.

Swiatek has now won all five Grand Slam finals she has contested. Her other victory came at the 2022 US Open.

READ: Iga Swiatek beats Coco Gauff to reach French Open final

She is the fourth woman in the Open era to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen four times — after Justine Henin, Chris Evert and Steffi Graf.

“It’s amazing to be here. I love this place. I wait every year to come back,” said Swiatek, who clicked into gear after saving a match point against Naomi Osaka in the second round.

“I was almost out of the tournament,” she said. “I also needed to believe this one is going to be possible, it’s been a really emotional tournament.”

Swiatek becomes only the third woman to win the tournament three years running. Henin, in 2005-07, was the last to do so. Monica Seles also achieved the feat as a teenager at the start of the 1990s.

At 23, her four Roland Garros titles are the same number Rafael Nadal, the record 14-time men’s champion, had at the same age.

READ: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff sprint into French Open quarterfinal

For the 28-year-old Paolini it was a sorry conclusion, at least in singles, to an otherwise brilliant fortnight in the French capital.

The world number 15 had won a total of four matches in 16 Grand Slam appearances before advancing to the fourth round of the Australian Open in January.

While she fell short of emulating compatriot Francesca Schiavone, who won the 2010 French Open, Paolini could yet finish on a winning note with her and doubles partner Sara Errani through to Sunday’s final.

“I have to say congratulations to you, Iga,” said Paolini. “I think to play you here is the toughest challenge in this sport.”

“It was tough, but it was lots of fun,” she added.

Paolini’s transformation this season into a player capable of challenging for the biggest prizes stemmed in part from quashing the mindset she needed “a miracle” to beat the best in the sport.

Yet the odds were heavily stacked against her going into the final, with Swiatek unbeaten at Roland Garros since a 2021 quarter-final loss to Maria Sakkari.

Swiatek takes charge

Riding a 20-match winning streak in Paris, and a winner of 18 straight matches this year after titles in Madrid and Rome, Swiatek quickly set about her business.

She powered an ace to hold in the opening game and had Paolini backpedaling down break point, but the Italian ground out a gutsy hold and then broke Swiatek when the Pole flayed a forehand long.

That triggered a searing riposte from Swiatek, who broke to love to get back on serve and then surged 4-2 in front after Paolini coughed up a costly double-fault.

“I got broken at the beginning, so it wasn’t maybe perfect, but I think the level was pretty high,” said Swiatek.

She had her opponent constantly scurrying around the court and the errors began to stack up for Paolini, who conceded the first set with a weak groundstroke into the net.

With Swiatek firmly in the ascendancy, Paolini looked lost for answers as the top seed oozed confidence and repeatedly took control of the rallies.

Had it not been for an astonishing recovery against Osaka in the second round, Swiatek would have suffered her earliest exit at the French Open.

Instead that fright served to ignite her title aspirations, reigning Wimbledon and US Open champions — Marketa Vondrousova and Coco Gauff — in particular powerless to stop the Swiatek offensive.

Swiatek had difficulty putting away Karolina Muchova last year when heavily fancied, but there was no such trouble 12 months on as the Pole dismantled Paolini to underline her burgeoning status as the ‘Queen of Clay’.

The three games won by Paolini were the fewest in the final here since Henin obliterated Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-2 in 2007, which also coincided with the Belgian’s fourth Roland Garros title in five years.

Bolts’ first title could be different from what Newsome has pictured

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Chris Newsome has been in the PBA playing for one team for almost a decade, but a championship has remained slippery for the dynamic Meralco star.

One could bet that the high-flying guard has imagined that special moment in his head one too many times in all of his time backstopping the Bolts.

“I’ve always pictured in my head that my first-ever PBA championship would be through an import conference,” he told the Inquirer with a sheepish smile, as the Bolts lead San Miguel Beer, 1-0, in the Philippine Cup Finals. “That’s just kind of how it was based off of our lineups and how strong San Miguel has been in the All-Filipino historically over the years.”

Meralco has contended for import-laden titles, particularly in the Governors’ Cup where they made all of its first four Finals appearances.

The Beermen, meanwhile, have won six of the last eight editions of the PH Cup, with the franchise owing a total of 10 titles, the most by any team.

Newsome has been a part of all of those four tries. Three of those attempts were with the tireless Allen Durham and the other with sweet-shooting Tony Bishop Jr., and the closest the Bolts came to a crown was during the 2017 Governors’ Cup when they lost to Barangay Ginebra in Game 7 at Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

‘Really working hard’

This latest chance against the Beermen, who are looking to extend their reign for a second-straight Philippine Cup, will be new to Newsome as it will be Meralco’s maiden appearance in the All-Filipino finalé. And this isn’t how he imagined things would be, either.

Not that he’s complaining.

“This says a lot about the franchise. I’ve been here nine years, and for us to be still making franchise history says a lot—that we’re really working hard,” he said.

“Sometimes it hurts to fail or to lose. At times it could be, you know, almost disheartening that you’ve been working so hard and things still (don’t go) in your favor,” he went on. “But all this is a confirmation that we are improving.”

And Newsome knows it would be a shame to let up when Meralco has come this far.

“No stopping now,” he said as he and the Bolts gun for a 2-0 edge at press time. “Just getting started.”