🗞 A star-in-the-making

October 04, 2020

G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: The horse I bet on was so slow, the jockey kept a diary of the trip. - Henny Youngman (comedian)

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🇦🇺 Finals week one review

🎾 Ash Barty finishes year as World Number 1

🐴 Libertini blows the Everest wide-open

...and much more!

🇦🇺 AFL

Brisbane Lions 69 (10.9) Richmond Tigers 54 (8.6) - Lions by 15: Revved up by a scintillating performance from Charlie Cameron, the Lions motored to the final four with a 15-point win over Richmond in their qualifying final clash. (match report)

St Kilda 67 (10.7) Western Bulldogs 64 (9.10) - Saints by 3: With the old of skipper Jarryn Geary and the new of star-in-the-making Max King leading the way, the Saints had to withstand a withering final-quarter comeback from the Western Bulldogs to hang on by three points in their elimination final at the Gabba on Saturday (match report)

West Coast Eagles 75 (11.9) Collingwood 76 (12.4) - Magpies by 1: Brilliant Pies stun Eagles by a point. (match report)

🏉 NRL

Panthers 29-28 Roosters: Big game hunter: Ivan full of praise for Nathan's composure (match report). In the end it was an ice-cold Cleary field goal with three minutes remaining that sealed the deal for the minor premiers although a very late Angus Crichton try closed the gap to one point to set up a grandstand finish.

Raiders 32-20 Sharks: Game of two halves: Wighton, Williams have Ricky in raptures as Raiders roll on (match report). Clive Churchill medallist Jack Wighton has steered the Raiders to another grand final rematch with the Roosters, but only after a captain's challenge kerfuffle helped Canberra avoid one of the biggest finals upsets in NRL history.

Storm 36-24 Eels: Munster scare takes some gloss off Papenhuyzen flair as Storm march on (match report)

Rabbitohs 46-20 Knights: Wayne's prayers answered as Souths advance after torrid week (match report) Wayne Bennett was "sending prayers down" at ANZ Stadium when the Rabbitohs fell behind 14-0 after 11 minutes of their elimination final against Newcastle.

⚽️ Football

  • Man Utd 1-6 Spurs -Fernandes penalty after two minutes cancelled out by Ndombele in 4th minute followed by Son's 7th-minute goal - Martial sent off for tame slap on Lamela, Kane (2), Son & Aurier add four more goals

  • Arsenal 2-1 Sheff Utd - Quickfire goals from Saka and Pepe, McGoldrick gave visitors some hope

  • Wolves 1-0 Fulham - Neto rifles in winner (Fulham remain pointless)

  • Leicester 0-3 West Ham - Antonio nods in Cresswell cross, Fornal collects and finishes long ball before teeing up Bowen

  • Southampton 2-0 West Brom - Djenepo twists and finishes, Romeu's leaping volley for second

  • (HT) Aston Villa 4-1 Liverpool - Adrian, in for injured Alisson, gives ball away for Watkins opener, striker adds second with rasping finish - Salah responds, but McGinn adds Villa third before Watkins completes hat-trick.

Credit: Daily Oz Football

⚽️ A rabona chip goal from the edge of the area.

This is insane from Katarina Jukic, for Murdoch University Melville FC in the NPL.

📺 on Twitter

🎾 French Open

Top seed Simona Halep is out of the French Open after losing to Iga Swiatek in the fourth round in just 68 minutes.

The Romanian, a heavy favourite to claim a second Roland Garros title, was stunned 6-1 6-2 by the Polish teenager.

Czech seventh seed Petra Kvitova overcame a slow start to beat Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez and reach the French Open fourth round.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova trailed 5-1 in the opening set but stormed back to win 7-5 6-3 against the impressive 18-year-old.

Twelve-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal raced into the quarter-finals with a straight-set victory over American qualifier Sebastian Korda.

Spanish second seed Nadal, chasing a fourth successive title at Roland Garros, took the match 6-1 6-1 6-2.

He will face Jannik Sinner next after the Italian beat Alexander Zverev.

German sixth seed Zverev said after the match that he was "sick" with a fever and probably should not have played.

World number one Novak Djokovic put in another assured performance to beat Daniel Elahi Galan and reach the French Open fourth round.

The 33-year-old Serb, bidding for his 18th Grand Slam title, beat the Colombian qualifier 6-0 6-3 6-2.

Barty remains World Number One

Halep’s elimination from the tournament means Ash Barty cannot be surpassed for world number one this year.

The Aussie will finish the year on top of the world rankings despite not playing since February.

Barty has been world No.1 since September 9, 2019. She will become the 11th woman in tennis history to have been world No.1 for more than 50 weeks later this year.

🐴 Racing

Libterini scored a stunning comeback win – but the race is only just starting.

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe: Sottsass wins as Enable sixth

Sottsass won a dramatic Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as Enable finished sixth in her attempt to win Europe's richest race for a record third time.

Enable was prominent entering the finishing straight but the 2017 and 2018 winner struggled in the very soft ground.

"It was too deep [the ground] - it killed her action," said Dettori.

🇺🇸 USA

The NFL is on the brink of having to make a major decision on the immediate future of the 2020 season as multiple games were cancelled amid a COVID-19 outbreak in the league.

The hiring of Doc Rivers signals just as much — this is about bringing in the man who could find a way to strike the right chemistry and fit to get the most out of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

The potential reward according to EPSN’s Stephen A Smith — the second coming of LeBron James.

📺 Live sport

⛳️ 07:00 - PGA Tour, Sanderson Farms Championship, Round 4 (Fox Sports)

🏈 07:25 -NFL - Las Vegas Raiders v Buffalo Bills (7mate or ESPN 2)

🏀 10:30 - NBA Finals - Miami Heat v Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN 1)

🏏 11:10 - Women's ODI Series - Australia v New Zealand (7TWO or Fox Cricket)

🏈 11:20 - NFL - San Francisco 49ers v Philadelphia Eagles (ESPN 2)

⚽️ 12:30 - MLS - Real Salt Lake v Los Angeles FC (BeIN Sports 3)

🎾 19:50 - French Open, Round 4, Day 9 (Fox Sports or Fox Sports More)

🚴🏼‍♂️ 21:25 - UCI Men's World Tour - Giro d'Italia, Stage 3 (Eurosport 1)

🎾 22:30 - French Open, Round 4, Day 9 (Fox Sports or Fox Sports More or SBS)

Tuesday

🏏 01:00 - Indian Premier League - Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Capitals (Fox Cricket)

⚾️ 07:07 - American League Divisional Series - Oakland Athletics v Houston Astros (ESPN 2)

🏄🏻‍♂️ 08:00 - Specialty Events, Boost Mobile Pro Gold Coast (Fox Sports)

⚾️ 11:07 - American League Divisional Series - Tampa Bay Rays v New York Yankees (ESPN 2)

🏈 11:15 - NFL - Green Bay Packers v Atlanta Falcons (ESPN 1)

🎾 20:00 (TBC) French Open Men's Quarter-Final (Fox Sports or Fox Sports More or SBS)

🚴🏼‍♂️ 21:10 - UCI Men's World Tour, Giro d'Italia, Stage 4, 140km (Eurosport 1)

🎾 23:00 (TBC) - French Open Women's Quarter-Final (Fox Sports or Fox Sports More or SBS)

🎾 23:00 (TBC) - French Open Men's Quarter-Final, Day 10 (Fox Sports or Fox Sports More or SBS)