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China Open: Jannik Sinner survives scare against Terence Atmane while Carlos Alcaraz eases past Zizou Bergs to reach quarter-finals in Japan

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World No 2 Jannik Sinner survived a scare from France’s Terence Atmane to book his place in the China Open quarter-finals after coming through 6-4 5-7 6-0 on Saturday.

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The Italian improved his record in Beijing to 11-1 as he marched into the last eight, where he will meet Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan.

Sinner made a good start, winning the first set fairly comfortably after breaking Atamane’s serve in the third game, but his opponent came back strongly as he broke in the final game of the second set to take it 7-5.

However, Atmane started to struggle with cramps at the back end of the encounter, allowing Sinner to race through the third set without dropping a game as he won in two hours and 21 minutes.

Fitness and consistency helped Sinner prevail as he won the match at the first time of asking after his opponent framed his backhand.

“The game style he [Atmane] plays is quite unique and he’s also a lefty – we don’t have so many lefties in the game,” Sinner said.

“Today he was struggling a bit in the third set with some cramps but it was a tricky second-round match.

“I was twice up a break in the second, couldn’t use it, but this is the sport, this happens. Maybe the concentration went a little bit down sometimes, a bit of nerves also felt today, it’s normal, but I’m very happy to be again in the next round.”

Third seed Alex De Minaur was given a real fight by another Frenchman, lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech, but battled to a 6-3 3-6 7-6 (2) victory.

Alcaraz through in straight sets

World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz was more comfortable in defeating Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-4 6-3 to join Sinner in booking his place in the Japan Open quarter-finals.

Alcaraz looked to be in real trouble after landing awkwardly on his left ankle during his opening match in Tokyo on Thursday and was unsure how he would pull up.

The six-time Grand Slam champion played with style and rigour as he reached the last eight of a tournament for the 13th time this year, and will next meet the United States’ Brandon Nakashima.

Bergs managed to break Alcaraz three times during a meeting that lasted one hour and 19 minutes but unable to take a set from the Spaniard, who repeatedly picked off his opponent’s serve in reply.

Alcaraz brought up match point with his famous drop shot that Bergs was not able to reach in time before sealing the win with a forehand that he could not return.

“It was tough,” said Alcaraz. “It was a really important day and a half that I had to recover as good as I can.

“I said before and I’m going to say it again, I have the best physio in the world who I trust 100 per cent and the work he has done for the ankle, I think, has been great.

“I could play, I would say, normally. I was worried about some movements on the court where I could feel the ankle but in general I think I played a great match.”

 

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Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.

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With the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.

Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?

Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.

“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.

Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..

 

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Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

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Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.

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It’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.

These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.

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Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

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It looks like LIV Golf is over.

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The Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.

That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.

So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.

But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?

Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.

Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.

 

That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.

 

If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.

But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.

Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.

For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.

Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time

With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.

He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.

DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.

He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.

He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.

He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.

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