🗞 Playing for both teams

AUSSIE SPORTS

🎾 icymi: Four Australians (Alexei Popyrin, Ajla Tomljanovic, Rinky Hijikata and Maya Joint) advanced to the second round at the US Open in what was a highly successful outing on the first day of the tournament.

No.28 seed all progressed with relative ease as Popyrin faces the prospect of a blockbuster against defending champion Novak Djokovic in the the third round.

Aussie results so far;

Men’s singles,

Jordan Thompson (AUS) d Constant Lestienne (FRA) 6-1 6-3 6-2
Huge result: Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) d [11] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 7-6(5) 4-6 6-3 7-5 - Tsitsipas is the highest-ranked player to lose on the men's side of the draw in the first two days at Flushing Meadows.
[WC] Tristan Schoolkate (AUS) d Taro Daniel (JPN) 4-6 4-6 6-4 7-6(6) 6-4

Women’s singles,
[25] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova d [WC] Taylah Preston (AUS) 6-2 6-0
[Q] Ena Shibahara (JPN) d Daria Saville (AUS) 6-3 4-6 7-6(6)

COMING UP…
Men’s singles, first round
[10] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v Marcos Giron (USA)
James Duckworth (AUS) v [31] Flavio Cobolli (ITA)
Chris O’Connell (AUS) v [26] Nicolas Jarry (CHI)
Max Purcell (AUS) v Aleksandar Vukic (AUS)
[Q] Li Tu (AUS) v [3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)

Men’s singles, second round
[28] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v Pedro Martinez (ESP)
Jordan Thompson (AUS) v [7] Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
Rinky Hijikata (AUS) v [9] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)

Women’s singles, first round
[Q] Arina Rodionova (AUS) v Wang Xinyu (CHN)
[Q] Destanee Aiava (AUS) v [4] Elena Rybakina (KAZ)

Women’s singles, second round
[Q] Maya Joint (AUS) v [14] Madison Keys (USA)
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) v [33] Elise Mertens (BEL)

🏉 Australian Dr Brett Robinson has confirmed he will contest the election for the position of World Rugby chair, and bid to replace the outgoing Sir Bill Beaumont in November.

If elected, Robinson would become the first person from the Southern Hemisphere to hold the role since its inception in 1996.

NRL NEWS
He let us down

👨🏻‍⚖️ South Sydney captain Cam Murray will not play again this season after copping a three-game ban over a high tackle. 

Murray was on Sunday charged with a grade two careless high tackle and was facing a two-game suspension if he entered an early guilty plea.

Instead, the star lock fronted the judiciary panel in a bid to downgrade the charge but failed.

TEAMS: With the minor premiership locked up, Craig Bellamy will rest a whopping 11 first choice players against the Cowboys. (NRL.com)

• Roosters: Joseph Aukuso-Sua’ali’i is out after suffering a shoulder injury.

• Cowboys: welcome back two studs from injury in the form of Jason Taumalolo and Jeremiah Nanai.

• Broncos: star forward Payne Haas being named in the extended squad.

• Meanwhile, Sharks name Nicho Hynes in their extended squad.

🗣️ A disappointed James Tedesco says enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves “knows he let us down” after the veteran prop took the early guilty plea and accepted a three-game ban for his shot on Sam Verrills on Sunday afternoon.

“Jared is disappointed in himself and he knows he let us down,” Tedesco said.

“But that’s how he plays.” “The NRL has cracked down majorly on it this year so you can’t really come into contact with any part of the head.”

✍🏼 In what represents a major acquisition for the Super League, St Helens have confirmed the signing of Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt on a two-year deal from the start of next season.

💰 It was reported earlier this week that Trbojevic approached the Sea Eagles and offered to take a pay cut of $750,000 over two years in an act of good faith after missing so much footy due to injuries.

The star fullback confirmed to the media on Tuesday that he had spoken to coach Anthony Seibold and the pair “explored a few options but it wasn’t to be” with the NRL rejecting Trbojevic’s offer. 

Now, according to NRL 360 host Braith Anasta, there are rumours circling suggesting the Sea Eagles may have approached Trbojevic about taking a pay cut — not the other way around.

Tallis believes that is indeed what has happened because, as he explained, “otherwise you (Manly) say ‘no you’re not doing it’ and you don’t put it in (to the NRL). You say ‘no Tommy, we love you, you actually kept us in the game the other day. Injuries are a part of it’ don’t you?”

Ultimately, after the NRL shut down the Manly’s submission, Trbojevic will earn the money he signed for — $1.1 million annually.

AFL NEWS
Bans Upheld

👨🏻‍⚖️ Tribunal: Kysaiah Pickett will miss Melbourne's first three matches of the 2025 AFL season after his three-match suspension was upheld at the Tribunal.

Pickett caught Darcy Moore high with a bump during the Demons' 46-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG on Friday night, with the Magpies captain substituted due to concussion.

Matt Owies’ hearing began at nearly 10pm AEST after a long and complex challenge of Pickett’s three-week rough conduct ban.

Owies, one of four Blues to have played every game this season, was handed a one-game suspension for the tackle on St Kilda’s Jack Higgins.

It was upheld near midnight with the Tribunal finding Owies should have released one or both of Higgins’ arms earlier.

👋🏼 St Kilda has delisted journeyman ruck Tom Campbell and former Port Adelaide defender Riley Bonner among four players in its first wave of list changes.

Forward Matthew Allison and young defender James Van Es have also been farewelled. (AFL.com)

✍🏼 As speculation Christian Petracca wants out of Melbourne reaches fever pitch, Collingwood coach Craig McRae has conceded a move for the disgruntled superstar would be "unrealistic" for the Magpies.

Reports that injured gun Petracca is unhappy and wants a trade, despite being contracted until the end of 2029, have escalated.

WORLD NEWS
Putting for Dough

⛳️ This weekend’s TOUR Championship marks the culmination of the 2023-2024 PGA Tour season, and will see the top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings play for the chance to be crowned the FedExCup champion and receive an eye-watering $36.90 million ($25 million US).

It is set to be the the richest golf tournament ever played, with a prize pool of $147.5 million ($100 million US) on offer.

The TOUR Championship has a much different format to the usual tournaments in that it is a staggered scoring start based on the FedEx Cup standings of that season.

For the third straight year, world number one Scottie Scheffler will begin the TOUR Championship with a two-shot lead on the second-placed Xander Schauffele. 

A TOUR Championship has so far eluded Scheffler, who this year broke the record for prize money won in a single season and has won just about every tournament.

Adam Scott, fresh off his T-2 in last week’s BMW Championship, had catapulted himself to 14th on the FedEx standings.

He is the sole Aussie in the field and will start at -3. 

Scottie Scheffler -10, Xander Schauffele -8, Hideki Matsuyama, -7, Keegan Bradley, -6, Ludvig Åberg, -5, Rory McIlroy, -4…

⚽️ Manchester United have agreed a 50m euros (AU$85m) fee with Paris St-Germain for Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

The move comes at the same time as midfielder Scott McTominay’s proposed 30m euros (AU$50m) switch to Napoli. 

Manchester United have also held exploratory talks over a deal to sign Raheem Sterling from Chelsea.

Midfielder Mikel Merino has completed his move to Arsenal from Real Sociedad in a deal understood to be worth AU$62m.

Transfer spending by Premier League clubs is AU$1.5bn down on last summer as the window enters its final week.

🚴🏻‍♂️ Wout van Aert claimed his third victory at the Vuelta a Espana after being in a long-range breakaway on stage 10. 

Australia's Ben O'Connor retained the overall lead on a relaxed day in the general classification race, with the main favourites all coming home together five-and-a-half minutes down on Van Aert.

⚾️ Catcher Danny Jansen has made history as the first player to play for both teams in the same Major League Baseball game.

Yes, you read that right...

The 29-year-old was batting for the Toronto Blue Jays on 26 June when their game against the Boston Red Sox was suspended because of rain.

A day later he was traded to the Red Sox - and appeared for his new team when the fixture resumed on Monday.

🏈 Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has ended his holdout and agreed to a four-year, US$136 million deal that makes him the second-highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

🏏 England have named five uncapped players in their T20I squad for the upcoming series against Australia.

T20I squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, John Turner.

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TODAY 

12:10 - MLB - Los Angeles Dodgers v Baltimore Orioles (ESPN)
17:05 - NPC - Canterbury Rugby v Hawke's Bay (Stan Sport)

THURSDAY

12:10 - MLB - Los Angeles Dodgers v Baltimore Orioles (ESPN)
19:30 - Awards Ceremony - AFL Awards (Fox Footy)
19:50 - NRL - North Queensland Cowboys v Melbourne Storm (Fox League or Channel 9)
20:00 - Test Match - England v Sri Lanka (Fox Cricket)